


Catching the Waves

by Sunaiya



Category: Naruto
Genre: Additional Warnings In Author's Note, Alpha Uchiha Sasuke, Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alpha/Omega, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Art inside, But very late, Courting Rituals, Eventual Happy Ending, Eventual Romance, Eventual Smut, Hurt/Comfort, M/M, Mating Cycles/In Heat, MerMay 2020, Mythology References, Naruto is Just Naruto, Nesting, No Uchiha Massacre, Omega Uzumaki Naruto, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Pining, Possessive Behavior, Possessive Uchiha Sasuke, Protective Uchiha Sasuke, Self-Discovery, Seme Uchiha Sasuke, Slow Burn, So don't worry, Top Uchiha Sasuke, Uchiha Sasuke Being an Idiot, Weird Biology, because I love drawing, come for the story, created this in may but didn't post until now, human/mer hybrid naruto, meaning he is still a badass, mer, naruto is not a weak little omega, stay for the art, surfer boy naruto, what have I created?, with a smart mouth
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-15
Updated: 2021-02-27
Packaged: 2021-03-06 23:14:56
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 56,852
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26477047
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Sunaiya/pseuds/Sunaiya
Summary: Uzumaki Naruto has never let his presentation as an omega define how strong, and how determined he can be. In fact, most people mistakenly believe him to be an alpha upon first meetings, his scent having been described as “very brawny for an omega.” Growing up on the sandy beaches of his hometown, he has made a name for himself amongst competitive surfers. With a title like “water demon,” it was hard for people not to take him seriously once they were beneath the swell of the waves, even if he was the only omega competing.After a long day of practice, Naruto found himself lying adrift on his surfboard -- fingers carding gentle through the top of the waves, while he looked up into the orange of the setting sky. It was pure peace for one who loved the water more than he loved the sandy shore. But when something bumps his board and sends him tipping over into the current, he feels fear in the ocean for the first time. He thinks he’s about to come face to face with a shark, wishing to make Naruto his next meal. Instead, he finds himself staring straight into the bright-red, patterned eyes of a creature he never knew existed.It's hard to catch a wave, but it's even harder to stay on top.
Relationships: Uchiha Sasuke/Uzumaki Naruto
Comments: 257
Kudos: 659
Collections: Amazing never forget, Naruto Wonderland





	1. Chapter 1 - Nothing to Prove

**Author's Note:**

> Hello Sasunaru ship community! So, I was perusing through some of the entries for mermay2020, and noticed there really hasn't been any for Sasuke and Naruto (unless I passed over it). I started writing this story in May, but didn't get around to posting until now, so it's kinda mermay2020 and kinda not haha. 
> 
> This story will have artwork! Because I love to draw and give visuals on some of the things I describe in my writing. If you guys want to get creative, and draw some pictures yourself for this story, I would be so happy! I'd be sure to link your artwork in my end notes so that others can see it as well. I just think art really adds to the experience of a story. You can tag me on instagram in the link below, or just type @aiyanifleet on your post. :3
> 
> instagram link: https://www.instagram.com/aiyanifleet/
> 
> I'll also be posting all of my own artwork for this story on my page. 
> 
> The art for this chapter is of the swimsuit Sakura chooses while shopping. Comment below what you think of the chapter!

link to art: https://www.instagram.com/p/CFJ2cWGANxc/

“Big snap off that lip, with a little wobble towards the inside! Emerson corrects herself just in enough time to give us a hell of a smooth kick out, bringing our last heat to an intense close!” 

The sounds of the announcer's voice carried over the boardwalk for several miles, followed by the ending alarm for the competition's final heat. Even if he wasn’t in this one, as it was the meet for female competitors, Naruto still kept an interested ear out as he walked along the wooden path of the boardwalk with his friend, Sakura. 

The pink haired girl had been droning on excitedly about something, every once in a while pointing out a swim shop. Naruto hardly listened until the end of the announcements, only offering half-hearted “uh huh”’s here and there. Just as the sounds from the competition quieted down, and he finally began to turn his attention back to her, he felt a fist come down on the back of his head. 

Naruto let out a groan, back hunched over a bit as he rubbed at the offended area, and glared up into green eyes. 

“What the hell was that for?” The blonde whined, straightening back up to his full height, which towered over the shorter woman. 

Sakura was an omega, so it wouldn’t normally be much of a surprise how much taller Naruto was. That is, until one found out that Naruto himself was also an omega. The blue-eyed man’s height was no joke -- his blonde spikes often soaring over the heads of betas, and even rivalling many alphas. By all biological standards, Naruto should be around the same height as Sakura, if maybe just a bit taller than her since he was male. He definitely shouldn’t be taller than most betas, and all alphas who had to look to meet his gaze, saw him as a freak of nature. 

Then again, Sakura shouldn’t be able to hit him harder than any alpha he’d ever scuffled with, and yet, the throbbing of his head reminded him not to piss the small woman off. 

“Have you even been listening to me?” Sakura grumbled out, her bottom lip poking out in an aggravated pout. 

Still rubbing at the back of his head, Naruto smiled down at her with a nervous chuckle.

“Of course I’ve been listening to you, Sakura-chan,” Naruto consoled, using the friendly term to try and sweeten the waters so he didn’t get punched again. 

The blonde had started calling his pink-haired friend that when they were younger, as Naruto had been sure he and Sakura would be an item one day. He’d convinced himself that she was the girl of his dreams, since he, nor anyone else, thought he would be anything other than an alpha. Even as a kid, nothing about Naruto had ever omega. He was taller than the other kids, stronger than most of them, and very competitive -- all traits of a tried and true alpha. 

Sakura had presented before him, and came to school after her first heat wearing her sweet, perfumy pheromones with pride. Naruto told himself then that this was a definite sign that they were meant to be. Everyone knew Alphas and Omegas went together better than peanut butter and jelly. He’d been so excited, even offering her subtle gifts of courtship here and there to earn some of her early affections. 

As fate would have it though, just two weeks after Sakura had presented, Naruto presented himself. Not as an alpha, nor as a beta, but the cramps in his stomach told him he was definitely an omega. Naruto had spent those few days curled up in his apartment alone, the pain of knowing Sakura and he would never be together hurting more than the hot ache in his gut. 

“Birds of a feather flock together” though, or some bullshit like that. Even if he accepted the fact that he and Sakura would never be a couple, omega’s tended to stick closely to their own. Their numbers were nowhere near as high as betas, and they were even rarer a sight than alphas. So at least with his disappointing presentation as an omega, Naruto was able to find a close group of friends in school. 

He and Sakura stayed glued at the hip, because they were the only two of their small circle who went to school together from elementary, all the way through to high school. They’d become best friends, and Naruto would even argue that he was happy they never became a mated pair. If not for the fact that he felt no attraction for another omega, then for the fact that she was like a sister to him. 

Sakura crossed her arms over her chest, her hips cocking to the side slightly in a clear sign of disbelief. 

“Oh? You’ve been listening, you say? Then what was I talking about?” Sakura asked, catching Naruto right in his lie. 

Naruto, not so subtly, tried to take small steps further away from the dangerously calm Sakura. 

“Well, uh -- you were talking about a bathing suit -- and this thing with… what's that girl’s name? Inu? Yah Inu -- and you wanted to buy this thing because of that other -- ya know?” Naruto tried, the words rapidly spilling from his mouth in an ungraceful banter. 

Yah… he was gonna get punched again. 

He squared his shoulders and squinted his eyes shut, preparing for the hit that never came. After a few solid seconds of anticipation, Sakura just let out a frustrated sigh. 

“Honestly--” She muttered under her breath, before just lightly bumping Naruto on the shoulder. 

Naruto dared to peek open one eye, staring down into Sakura’s with bated breath. Instead of an angry glare, the pink-haired girl just looked up at him humorously. 

“I know you love listening to the competitions, but would it kill you to listen to the words of your best friend every once in a while?” Sakura asked, her eyes shining like a saddened puppy. 

Guilt clenched in Naruto’s stomach, as he realized that he had, in fact, been basically ignoring Sakura the entire time. A sad omega, even in the eyes of another omega, was a painful sight, that often had people tripping over their own two feet to fix whatever had caused that sadness. 

“You have my full attention now, Sakura-chan, scout’s honor,” Naruto tried to fix his mistake, offering a little salute as he focussed his eyes and ears on the girl. 

A small smile cocked at the corner of Sakura’s full lips, her hands clasping behind her back as she rolled her eyes. 

“You were never even in scouts, idiot,” she pointed out, but seemed happy that she now had her friend’s focus. “Anyways, I was talking about the next swimming competitions. They’re allowing us to wear whatever bathing suit we want to celebrate the end of the season, rather than wearing the team uniform. So I wanted your help picking out a cute swimsuit that will make INO...” Sakura enunciated the name that Naruto had clearly been mispronouncing, “look like trash in comparison.” 

Sakura’s voice changed from sweet excitement, to being maliciously competitive after mentioning Ino’s name. Naruto remembered his friend talking an awful lot lately, about some blonde chick that had joined her team. Anyone who thought all omega’s automatically got along just because they tended to stick close together, had never been in the middle of two who hated each other. The fights between two omega’s could, arguably, grow even more dangerous than one between two alphas. While it was rare for them to take up an instant disliking for each other, it was definitely not unheard of. Sakura, and this Ino, were a very clear example of this. 

“Sure!” Naruto replied enthusiastically, always enjoying the time he spent accompanying Sakura on her shopping trips. He liked it a little less when he was stuck carrying a million bags, but he still had fun nonetheless. They often pretended to be a couple to get free food at restaurants, and unless someone really concentrated on Naruto’s scent, they always thought he was an alpha. 

The blonde had always been told he had a very, shall we say, “brawny” scent for an omega. Where Sakura smelt sweet -- like fresh spring blossoms, warm honey, and fertility -- Naruto was said to smell a bit more briny -- like seaweed, coconut, and summer heat. He’d always joked that his scent was further proof he was born for the water, and the lack of sweetness to it had never bothered him. He’d been teased for it a couple of times in his life, but most people were just shocked when they found out. The only thing about him that revealed he was an omega was, if people got close enough to him to pick it up, the clear fertility marker that said he could conceive. Omegas were, after all, the only ones who could carry the next generation, though, Naruto considered himself a failure in that respect. He had no intentions of ever getting pregnant, and carrying a child. 

It wasn’t that he hated kids, per say, he just couldn’t see himself carrying, and birthing a child. Not to mention, he hadn’t really had parents there to raise him, so he’d probably be a piss poor father. His grandfather, Jiraya, had taken custody of him after the death of his mom and dad. However, the gray-haired author was always away so he could gather experience and research for his books. When he wasn’t doing that, he was off at book signings and what not. 

It hadn’t been all bad, since Naruto always had the material things he wanted or needed growing up. Jiraya made quite a decent amount of money from his more famous works, more than enough to support the blonde. Naruto was also able to learn more independence this way, and told himself it was why he grew up so strongly. The loneliness was ever gnawing at the back of his mind though, which is another reason he was so grateful to have Sakura as his friend. 

Sakura was always there after his heat with homemade food, and plenty of treats. She was there cheering him on at competitions -- celebrating when he won, and comforting when he lost. Through thick and thin, she’d seen him through it all, and vice versa. He didn’t need parents to make him happy, and he most definitely didn’t need an alpha. 

“What kind of bathing suit were you thinking? Probably shouldn’t be anything too skimpy because of the initial dive. You don’t wanna lose your top in the water and give all the meat-headed alphas there a show,” Naruto warned. He was always trying to protect the pink-haired girl from the hungry eyes of alphas, who seemed to only look at her as if she were a walking, strawberry topped sundae. It was rare anyone hit on him, since most alphas thought he was one himself, but Sakura was always on the receiving end of their disgusting stares. Again, Sakura was like his sister, making him the brother who wanted to protect her. 

“I don’t really have enough up there to wear anything too revealing anyways,” Sakura mumbled, while mournfully glancing down at her chest. “I was thinking something, I don’t know, maybe frilly for the top. Definitely a bikini, but maybe one that covers more of the front, and shows more in the back,” Sakura thought out loud, staring skyward with one finger poised over her lips, which were pressed together in thought. 

Naruto mimicked her thoughtful look, meaning both of them were now staring up, and not watching where they were going. Of course Naruto would be the one to clumsily run right into another person walking by. At first, he had thought he ran right into a pole or something, and jerked his eyes up to curse the metal object out. Instead, he found himself at a loss for words when he was staring up at a man, who was the definition of “tall, dark, and…” Well, he wasn’t exactly Naruto’s type, but it was impossible to deny there was a certain charisma surrounding him. 

His hair was long, and held in the back loosely by a decorative hair-tie of sorts. The tie itself had small seashells looped around it, with a gold, chain-like band twining through. His hair was jet-black, and stopped between his shoulder blades -- looking impossibly soft, and shiny under the sun’s glow. His eyes were as dark as his hair, pining Naruto in place where he was sprawled out on the ground. The man’s build was muscular, and the tight, red shirt he wore allowed one to see the dips of his abs. Loose, black sweatpants covered long legs, and made the man appear even taller than he already was. 

His eyes suddenly flashed with something like concern, before he reached a pale hand down towards Naruto. 

“I’m sorry, are you alright?” He asked, his soft, yet baritone voice definitely the stuff of porn movies. 

“Uh, yah, I’m good,” Naruto replied, forcing his award winning smile onto his face so he didn’t appear to be affected by the man’s presence. The blonde grabbed the hand offered to him, taking note of the distinct difference between their skin tones. Where Naruto was all but permanently sun-kissed from years of practically living on the waves, this man’s skin was like snow-white porcelain. 

The fair sight of that flesh was rather deceptive though, as the raven’s grip was firm, and revealed rough calluses. In one swift jerk, Naruto was back up on his feet, with a concerned Sakura worrying over him. Even if Naruto appeared to be anything but an omega, Sakura knowing his secondary gender was enough to have her own protective instincts kicking in. Omega’s often worried after each other, sometimes even more than alphas did. 

“I’m alright, Sakura-chan. It takes a lot more than a little fall to leave me on my ass,” Naruto smiled cheerfully at the smaller woman, whose gaze flicked back and forth between her friend and the stranger. 

Naruto focussed his own gaze back on the raven, who was still holding his hand tightly. Now on his feet, the blonde could very distinctly see the man was at least a whole head and a half taller than him. 

‘Talk about steroids!’ Naruto thought, having to stop himself from gawking up at the giant. 

Suddenly, the man’s brows furrowed with a look of confusion, his face leaning in a little closer to Naruto, who was beginning to grow uncomfortable under the scrutiny. The blonde was only left wondering what the man was doing for a few seconds longer, when he heard the short puffs of air that told him this stranger was sniffing at him. 

Now extremely weirded out, and a bit pissed, Naruto began trying to jerk his hand out of the grasp. 

“Let go!” Naruto growled deeply, his shoulders squaring up defensively in preparation for a fight. 

Instead of being intimidated, the raven still had that look of confusion on his face, though he did lean back after Naruto’s strong reaction. 

“An omega?” The man’s words were barely a whisper, and were definitely meant more for himself than anyone else. 

Naruto heard them nonetheless, and was cast into a confused haze of his own. Sure, the raven had leaned in a little closer, but it generally took people much longer to figure out what gender his scent belonged to. Yet this man -- this stranger -- did it in a matter of seconds. 

“Excuse me, sir… Could you please let go of my friend? We’re sorry to have bothered you, but we’ll be on our way now.” Sakura’s sweet voice filled the tense silence that fell between Naruto and the raven. She placed a calming hand on the pale skin covering Naruto’s, and pulled on it gently. 

As if someone had flipped a switch, all traces of confusion, or any emotion for that matter, was wiped clean off of the stranger’s face. He pulled his hand back to his body, and gave her and Naruto a small smirk. 

The gesture sent a shiver down Naruto’s spine, as that simple smile screamed anything but “normal”. It was rather beastly, and almost threatening, as it revealed shining white teeth, and rather sharp incisors. It wasn’t uncommon for an alpha to have sharper teeth -- even more so when they went feral, or were marking a mate -- but something about this man’s canines was much more primal. 

“Of course, the fault is mine so there’s no need for apologies. Have a good afternoon,” the stranger wished them well, bowing his head slightly in an act of politeness, before turning to leave. 

Naruto waited, with bated breath, until the raven was out of sight. When he was finally swallowed up by the crowd, only then did he open his mouth to say something.

“That guy was a freak.” The words were meant to come out grouchy, and with strong exclamation. Instead, they came out breathless, and almost whiny, as Naruto’s voice took on a bit of a higher octave from nerves. 

“He was looking at you as if you had two heads,” Sakura laughed out, pulling slightly on Naruto’s bicep to get him to walk with her. “You’d think he’d never seen an omega before. Actually… when you think about it, he probably hasn’t seen an omega like YOU before.” Sakura poked his side while making fun of him, but not in a way that was meant to be harmful. 

“Even if I was omega that was eight feet tall, with muscles the size of basketballs, he didn’t have to treat my existence like an amoeba in a petri dish,” Naruto stated. 

The lighter air surrounding him was slowly making its way back into their conversation, as he and Sakura continued searching for a good swim shop. There were plenty of them all over the boardwalk, as it was a tropical destination, and high on tourism. However, not all of them were good, and many of them weren’t exactly friendly to a petite body type like Sakura’s. 

After a while, they finally settled on a place called “little darling’s swimwear,” which was known for carrying a decent collection of smaller sizes. As they perused through the many racks adorning the center of the shop, Sakura decided to start up a conversation. 

“So, we’ve been talking a lot about my comp coming up, but when is the meet for the surfing regional semi-finals?” She asked, her emerald eyes peeking up over one of the displays she was sifting through.

Naruto hummed thoughtfully, his own attention focussed on searching for something that might go well with Sakura’s body-type and skin tone. 

“Next week, but I plan on hitting the water tomorrow in order to get some training in,” Naruto replied, taking a moment to think before finishing his statement. “I’ll probably go to the North beach, further down, and away from the boardwalk. The swells get pretty high, and there are rarely ever any tourists down there because it’s more water than sand -- with that cliff side there and all.”

Naruto suddenly let out an “aha!” and pulled a small, purple swimsuit off the rack. 

“What about this? It goes really nice with your tan,” Naruto tried, before squinting one eye closed, and holding the bathing suit over Sakura’s form where she stood a little ways away. 

The pink-haired girl looked up for only the briefest of seconds, and shook her head in refusal. 

“It’ll clash with my hair and eyes. Green, pink, AND purple -- I’ll look like a clown,” Sakura mumbled the last bit out, but it was clear she didn’t like Naruto’s choice at all. 

“The prettiest clown,” Naruto teased in a cooing voice, earning a glare from his friend. 

With a chuckle, he placed the swimwear back where he got it, and began looking for something that would bring out the features Sakura mentioned. 

“Be careful you don’t push yourself too hard, Naruto. I know you just want to make sure you’re ready, and that you think you have something to prove, but I don’t want to see you wearing yourself down for a stupid trophy.” Sakura’s warning came out strictly, but Naruto could hear the concern in her words. 

“I’m not gonna wear myself down -- I know better than anyone what the limitations of my body are -- and don’t have anything to prove that I haven’t already,” Naruto refuted, picking up a green swimsuit, before putting it back when he realized the shade was off. 

“Uh huh. Don’t think I don’t hear you grumbling in your sleep all the time about how you ‘need to show those alphas who’s boss.’ You’re trying to prove you’re not restricted to being a weak person, just because of your secondary gender,” Sakura glanced up at him overtop of the red swimsuit she was holding in front of herself, her eyes full of understanding. “In my eyes, you defeated all odds when you surpassed Asuma Sensei’s height in the tenth grade. But you work harder than anyone, and your dedication shows a lot more about your character than simply being first place ever will. Give yourself more credit, Naru.” When Sakura called him by his nickname, it usually meant she was either a) trying to drill something into his head, or b) trying to get him to do something for her. This was obviously the former. 

“I have to work ten times harder BECAUSE of my gender, Sakura. When I was first starting out, people took one look at my application and laughed. Hell, it was a million years before any of them even gave me the chance. Gai only let me compete after crying all over me, and going on and on about the ‘strength and passion of youth.’” Naruto shivered when he remembered the sight of a grown man -- clad in a bright, green, full-body swimsuit -- crying and barreling after him in an attempt to give him a hug. 

Sakura giggled at the memory herself, one of her hands coming up to hide her flushed face. 

“Yes, Gai has always been rather… passionate. He gave you the chance because his student, Lee, if I remember correctly, is an omega too. If nothing else, that should prove to you that not all alphas have their heads stuck up their ass, and their dicks hanging out their pants,” Sakura said in a sing-song voice, flicking her finger up and down to emphasize her last statement. 

“No, that proves that they’ll let anyone be a ref nowadays. Nothing good ever comes from getting mixed in with an alpha,” Naruto pressed, his eyes narrowing slightly from distaste. 

Sakura hummed, and appeared like she was going to refute his claim. Fortunately, the blonde beat her to it, and pulled a random swimsuit off a rack to distract her with. 

“What about this one?!” He all but shouted, earning a glare from the cashier behind the check-out counter a little ways away. 

“Ooh, that’s actually not half bad. Give it here,” Sakura bubbled excitedly, reaching a hand out in the direction of the swimsuit. 

Naruto had only been trying to redirect her attention, and hadn’t even looked at what he grabbed. When he glanced down at the swim suit in his hand, he noticed, approvingly, that it actually was pretty nice. 

The top was covered in layered frills that had an ombre transition, from rose-pink at the base of each ruffle, to a light, tealy-green on the ends. The back was open nicely, with a gold, twisted band holding the suit tied in place. The twist itself wrapped all the way around the front of the suit, before being connected by a gold clasp in the back. The bottoms were equally as stunning, carrying that same ombre pattern, just without the ruffles. Around the hip part of the piece was a swirly, gold pattern, making it appear like a belt. 

In all honesty, it went with Sakura very well, from her personality, to her features. 

“I’m gonna try it on!” The pink-haired girl exclaimed, before all but dragging Naruto to where the dressing rooms were located in the back of the store. 

She released her hold on the blonde, only when they were in front of the rows of dressing rooms. Each one was concealed by plain, blue curtains, which billowed every once in a while from the constant stream of sea breeze spilling through the open store. 

The pink-haired girl looked at them with a glare of disapproval, not keen on the idea of a strong gust of air coming through, and flashing her body to the world. Naruto noticed this, and smiled fondly down at his friend. 

“Don’t worry, I’ll stand in front of the room and make sure the curtain stays closed,” Naruto consoled, taking up his post next to the side of an open dressing room. 

He gestured to it formally like a butler opening a door for his client, holding the material of the curtain back so Sakura could enter. She let out a relieved sigh, and gave the blonde a look of gratitude before she slipped inside. 

Naruto, true to his word, stood directly in front of the curtain. One hand was raised to pin the material to the frame, while the other was crossed over his chest -- his free hand grasping his bicep. 

“They really should change this design, or at least close the doors to the shop over,” Sakura shouted over the curtain, as the sounds of her clothing ruffling filled the space. 

“The person who owns this place is probably a pervert,” Naruto joked, catching the curtain when a puff of wind flew through the area. “Be careful, there might be a hidden camera somewhere in there.” 

A pink head peaked out of one side of the curtain, dainty hands making sure nothing past her neck was showing. “That’s not funny, Naruto,” She glared, before disappearing back inside. 

“I’m just saying, you never know,” he laughed out, his head leaning against the wall next to the drage he guarded. 

Sakura muttered some colorful words under her breath at his antics, but her head didn’t make a reappearance. A few more ruffling noises were heard, but not too long after she knocked on the frame of the dressing room entrance. 

Naruto moved out of the way, allowing for the pink-haired girl to step out. 

Sakura did a little twirl in the suit, grabbing a tuft of her bubble gum hair, and biting her lower lip when she faced Naruto. 

“What do you think?” She asked shyly, a slight blush tinting her face in anticipation for his answer. 

Naruto placed a finger under his chin, looking her form up and down. The top hid the fact that Sakura was a little smaller in the breast department, the ruffled puffing out with the smallest swell. The bottoms highlighted the curve of her hips, and the color brought out the creaminess of her skin, as well as her hair and eyes. The little hints of gold here and there shimmered nicely, and made her look more lively. 

Sakura began to fidget nervously with how long it was taking her friend to answer, appearing as if she was about to run back into the dressing room and take it off. 

“I like it -- you should get this one,” Naruto finally said, a softer, gentler smile gracing his lips. 

His stare, of course, had been completely platonic, and Sakura knew that well. Still, it was moments like this where he couldn’t help but wonder what might’ve been, had he been born differently. It wasn’t just with Sakura either; it was with everything.

Entering surf competitions, and holding his breath as the ref looked over his application -- he’d have no worry for the potential of judging eyes if he were an alpha. 

Going to the store and buying products for his heat -- he wouldn’t have to feel so self conscious if he were an alpha. 

Constantly getting into fights because people seemed to think it was okay to make fun of him for his “freaky nature” -- he wouldn’t have to bother, if only he were an alpha. 

There were so many things that could have gone differently -- better -- in his life, had he just been born differently. 

It wasn’t like that was ever going to prevent him from doing what he wanted though. One thing people learned quite quickly about Uzumaki Naruto, was he was nothing if not stubbornly determined. If an alpha could eat five slices of pizza, then he could eat ten. If an alpha could lift one-hundred pounds, then he could lift one-fifty. If an alpha could ride a wave, then Naruto could too, and he’d do it better. 

“You really think so?” Sakura asked, her perky personality back after gaining the approval of her best friend. She looked back in the mirror again, shifting herself from side to side to take in her appearance from every angle. 

“Definitely,” Naruto replied, catching her gaze in the mirror, and offering an encouraging smile, along with a thumbs up. “Inu won’t stand a chance when she sees you,” he stated confidently, his thumbs up melting into a fist. 

“Ino,” Sakura corrected for the second time with a bit of exasperation, but a sweet smile was ever present on her face. “Alright! It’s decided then. Let me just take it off, and get checked out so we can leave,” She said, slipping back into the room and closing the curtain over. 

Naruto took back his position as guardian of Sakura’s dignity, and held the flimsy material closed again. 

After Sakura changed back into her clothes, and purchased the swimsuit, the two found themselves walking back the way they came down the boardwalk. They were going to get something to eat before heading back to their shared apartment, but their exhaustion told them they should just heat up some leftovers. 

Well… leftovers for the pink-haired girl, and cup ramen for Naruto and his “unhealthy addiction,” as Sakura called it. 

By the time Naruto was settled in at his desk in his room -- a steaming cup of ramen in his right hand, chopsticks held between his teeth, and his phone in his left -- he was already back to preparing for the competition next week. While mindlessly slurping noodles up, he scrolled through the list of competitors who had signed up so far. The deadline to apply was in two days, and entries had been open for acceptance for a couple of months now, but it was surprising how many people waited until the last minute to put their names in. 

He grunted disdainfully when he took in the name of Hyuga Neji: a spoiled rotten, long haired, pretty-boy alpha, with a self-absorbed attitude, and creepy eyes. 

Neji had been a thorn in his side since Naruto had first started competing. If it wasn’t annoying enough that the man was always looking for opportunities to talk down to the blonde, and show him up, then the fact that he actually had skills was. If Sakura’s rival was Ino, then Neji was definitely his. 

Naruto would have to put in even more time on the waves before the meet if he didn’t want to end up getting pummeled. 

Naruto clunked his, now empty, ramen cup down on the desk with a sight, and ran a hand through his spiked hair. It was hard enough earning a place in semi-finals with sexist assholes running the show, but keeping his place in the surfing community required him to work ten times harder than anyone. It was exhausting, but he hadn’t been titled “water demon” by his fans for nothing, and he was going to make damn sure his name wasn’t easily washed away. 

Tomorrow, he’d hit the beach, and not return home until his muscles ached, and his stomach was covered in belly rashes from his board. Because Uzumaki Naruto was not some weak omega, and he’d make everyone remember it.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Link to my twitter: https://twitter.com/AiyaniF  
> Link to my Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/aiyanifleet/
> 
> On twitter, I will more than likely be posting about upcoming projects, art, etc. Feel free to send me your oneshot and story prompt requests, as well as art, and any questions you may have. 
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> Thanks!


	2. Doesn't Exist

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Naruto gets up bright and early to hit the water, only to have an encounter with a mysterious shadow in the water. Naruto and Sakura have dinner together, and are met with a familiar face from the day before. Naruto's research that night leads him to a strange destination, one which he refuses to believe as true.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! I'm sorry it took so long for me to come out with this chapter. I published this book right at midterms, and was also just having a lot of complications at the time. Here is chapter two though, and I hope you like it, and the art I created of surfer-boy Naruto! My chapters tend to be rather long, so I hope that makes up for the fact that I basically went MIA right after publishing. 
> 
> Thank you for all of your comments and kudos, and I hope this story continues to be exciting for all of you!

Link to story art (Surfer boy Naruto!): https://www.instagram.com/p/CGWtgHwguyp/

Naruto, with a bit of struggle, woke up at the crack of dawn like he had promised. His eyes felt as though they had been glued shut, forcing him to pry his lids open with an annoyed grunt. He always felt painfully heavy when he woke up in the morning, and everything felt bone dry. He’d been to several doctors over the years, but none of them could tell him why he woke up feeling like gravity was against him, and like he’d spent five days in the desert without water. It was always the same failed guesses and lectures.

“Have you tried visiting a chiropractor?” 

“Is there a history of xerostomia in your family?”

“It could be caused by a high sodium diet.” 

Or the one he just loved to hear…

“It could be the side effect of a typical case of ‘unbonded anxiety syndrome,’ but don’t worry, it’s quite common in unmated omegas. Your hormones should settle out over time, or once you’ve been mated.” 

Yes, because having some alpha breathing down his neck, and treating Naruto like a prize he’d won at a county fair would definitely cure a dry throat. Naruto had to resist the urge to roll his eyes anytime a doctor even tried that speech with him. Most of the time though, he was just told he needed to drink more water. 

Speaking of water, the blonde finally willed himself to sit up, and drank the full bottle he always had on standby next to his bed. The dryness on his tongue slowly faded from parched, to just a slightly moist, sticky sensation. 

Letting out a contented grunt, Naruto went to pull himself out of bed when he noticed a soreness in his ass -- the result of his fall yesterday, no doubt. Because, of course, this was how everyone loved to wake up; with a literal pain in the ass. 

To say Naruto wasn’t the most graceful early riser was… an understatement. Still, he took it in stride as he trudged clumsily into the bathroom. On his way there, he switched off the noise machine on his dresser, causing his room to fall into a deafening silence. For as long as he could remember, Naruto needed the peaceful, airy noise to drift off. He couldn’t stand the complete silence of a quiet room, just as much as he couldn’t stand the glow of a television. His only other option had been the noise device, as a fan would have made him feel even drier than he already felt waking up. Actually, any more dehydrated, and he might just die in his sleep. 

After relieving himself in the toilet, Naruto stared at his reflection in the mirror while brushing his teeth. His eyes, normally a vibrant blue, were a little cloudy from sleep, and his already spiky hair stuck up oddly in all directions. He spit out the frothy toothpaste in his mouth, smiling experimentally in the mirror to make sure his teeth were completely cleaned. Once satisfied, he set to work fixing his spikes with a bit of gel -- just the smallest amount to ensure his unruly hair looked somewhat presentable. The gel itself was waterproof, meaning it would at least hold up for part of his time practicing today. Finally, he washed his face, and put his contacts in so he could actually see. 

Very few people knew Naruto needed a prescription to see. The first being his grandfather, obviously, because he was the one who paid for Naruto’s lenses when he was a kid. The second being Sakura, because they lived together, and because Naruto pretty much shared everything with her. 

Technically speaking, he wasn’t supposed to wear his contacts in the ocean, as the salt water made them dry up, and become difficult to take out. As long as he was careful though, and kept his eyes closed while underwater, it wasn’t a big deal. The minor discomfort was better than him making a mistake because he wasn’t able to see, and wearing glasses was impossible for obvious reasons. One nasty wipeout, and the expensive lenses would be lost to the waves. 

Naruto looked over himself one last time in the mirror, satisfied with how fresh his face now appeared. His morning routine, while short, did a pretty good job of waking him up.

He left the bathroom with lighter steps, making his way to the small closet on the opposite side of his room. His normal attire was fitting of his personality and sport, but pretty simple as far as outfits went, especially when compared to the flashy wearings of tourists. A pair of khaki cargo shorts covered his orange and blue swim trunks, while an orange, chest hugging t-shirt brought attention to his toned abdomen. He didn’t care to dress fancy, when 90% of his time he was in the water anyways. The one and only time he dressed somewhat showy, was when he attended Shikamaru and Temari’s wedding a couple years back. Even then, while all of the men wore suits, Naruto had donned a simple, button up shirt, and dress pants. 

It just wasn’t his style.

After getting dressed, Naruto was sure to grab his keys, phone, and a spare bar of wax for his board. He knew he already had one in the truck, but he wasn’t sure of how much was left, and would rather not have to come back inside. 

The blonde was as quiet as possible when he left his room, making sure to close the door softly behind him. He could hear the soft sounds of Sakura snoring next door, and smiled fondly as he tiptoed down the long hall. One last stop in the kitchen saw him grabbing a protein bar for breakfast, and then he was finally outside. 

The morning air on the coast was not a thing anyone could forget. It was slightly chilled from the sea breeze, but the coolness mixed with the moisture from the ocean refreshingly. The musky undertones of salt mixed with the earthy smell of seaweed, and the barest trace of a fruity, tropical afterscent. He drank up the smells of the sea like one would sniff at the delicious aroma of cake cooking in the oven. And just like that, he felt like his normal self -- the dryness of his throat, and the heaviness of his limbs long forgotten. Once he was out on the waves, he wouldn’t even remember what it felt like to be anything but weightless and free. 

The ride there was typical for Naruto, who could quite literally traverse the roads to his destination blindfolded. His old, beat up truck was trusty enough to get him and his board there in one piece, even as he began driving it over the rougher backroads. With the windows rolled down, and the rising sun casting orange glows over all of the earth and vegetation, Naruto could feel ease settle in his chest. 

He rolled up on the beach with a smile curving his lips upward. The swell looked nice today, with the waves forming in the distance rising a good few meters, before breaking into a white foam as they neared the sandy shore. Just as Naruto was about to hop out of the truck so he could get to work waxing his board up, a ping from the passenger seat drew in his attention. His phone, which he’d taken with him only to keep track of time during his breaks, was lit up with a notification. He lifted the device to his face, and had to bite back a grimace at the alert he’d received from his calendar. A female voice rang out of the speakers as soon as he opened the app. 

“Your heat is one month away, would you like to schedule an appointment with your primary care provider beforehand?” 

Omegas typically had two heats a year, but even that was too much for the blonde. This time was absolutely miserable for any omega, especially one who, as much as Naruto hated to admit, didn’t have an alphas pheromones to sooth the pain. For now, he just wanted to forget anything that didn’t involve practicing for comps, so he silenced the calendar app and locked his phone screen. 

As the blonde walked up to where the water met the sand, he made sure to stay far enough back that he was clear of the darkened line, but close enough that he could take in the salty, comforting scent of it. Before he could get in, he had to wax up his board. 

His Firewave eight-foot board, appropriately titled “Rampage” by the store he’d purchased it from, was the best he owned. It was long enough for his weight to be evenly distributed, and wide enough that he could even pick up smaller waves with little to no effort. It wasn’t so wide, though, that it got in his way when he was lucky enough to catch a big swell. Naruto could maneuver it easily through the waves like a hot knife cutting through butter. Whether gliding easily on the water, or snapping off the top of a wave for added drama, his board could do it all. 

The design was shiny and sleek, and held the wax well, allowing for him to go longer periods of time without reapplying. An orange base with blue sport stripes going down the center, and blue, hawaiian-style flower patterns, gave off an elegant beauty, but sharp quality. 

The blonde sat down in the sand, placing the board flat on the ground in front of him. He reached into the pocket of his swim trunks, and pulled out the wax, which would help him keep a better grip while surfing. As he had thought, the one he’d kept in his truck was almost gone, and just a small nib in his hand. This stuff was expensive though, so he wasn’t about to let any of it go to waste. 

Naruto stared out at the rolling waves as his hand mindlessly moved over the surface of the board, rubbing the wax on in circular motions. He’d gone through the same routine hundreds, if not thousands of times, so he didn’t even have to look down to know he was doing it right. This moment before diving into the water was the most important to him, where he allowed himself to concentrate, and create a game plan in his mind. Each swell was seen in blue eyes like a coordinated map, with all of the possible moves he could make, and the points he might earn for them. He could never look at the lively surface, and just see waves, because his mind was programmed to see them as more than that. This wasn’t to say he only saw the ocean as a tool for gaining points though. For as long as he could remember, he felt more at peace here than in his own home.

Suddenly, the blonde’s nose twitched, his half lidded eyes popping open to survey his surroundings better. The breeze ruffling through his hair was carrying a strange scent, unfamiliar in that he couldn’t place it. It was familiar, however, in that it was like smelling a product from bath and body works: you knew the source of the smell belonged to that specific store, but you didn’t really know which perfume it was. This was something different than the typical, salty ocean air -- it was sharper, muskier, and stranger. If he had to draw comparisons, Naruto would say it smelt like the burning wood of a beachside campfire. It had the slightest undertones of the musky-sweet char you get when you smell the burnt wood, mixed perfectly with a blend of salt, palm oil, and… maybe something a bit darker, more primal. 

“Hello--!?” Naruto hesitantly called out. With his heat so close, he could very well be picking up something from one of the distant beach houses with his heightened sense of smell. Or it could even just be the leftover remains of someone having been on the beach the day before. But he was sure the scent was coming from a living being, and not just the sandy shore itself. 

Despite his efforts to tell himself it was probably all in his head, Naruto felt defensive and stiff, as if his instincts were willing his body to prepare for a fight with an incoming foe. The blonde had fought enough people -- alphas and betas alike -- in his lifetime, to recognize the trademark signs of his hormones readying him for battle. 

When Naruto, expectantly, didn’t receive a response to his call, he simply shook his head in an attempt at clearing it. He stood on, only slightly, wobbling legs, repackaging the wax in his palm, before tossing it into the sand. Giving one last look out at the water, the tension began to leave Naruto’s shoulder, a smile spreading where a frown had previously been. 

The sand squished nicely between his toes like a massage with a rejuvenating scrub, while the wet sound of his feet hitting the saturated ground rang out like a drum in the blonde’s ears. This was the musical introduction to a whole symphony of song Naruto would hear during his practice. The ocean sang to him like a long-lost lover, coaxing him deeper and deeper into the swell, until he finally collapsed onto his stomach on his board. From that point forward, Naruto kicked his feet in short paddling motions, and dug his arms deeply into the water. His muscles flexed as he cut each wave with his hands, his board rocking back and forth over the swell. When he got far enough out that the waves began to grow taller, he practiced ducking beneath them. Even if they were still small enough that he could safely go over them without being tipped, it didn’t hurt to remember the fundamentals of over-under. 

That moment of weightlessness after he pressed down on the dense foam of the board, and dipped beneath the surface, was like no other. He was forced further down by the pressure of the tunnel-shaped current, and only once it had fully passed over him did the buoyancy of his board float him swiftly back to the top. Water spewed past his lips in a misty cloud, quickly dissipating into the air around him. A few seconds of reprieve was all he was allotted, before the next wave, growing in intensity by the second, came into his line of sight. Each swell he chose not to ride was seen as a challenge, and the one he ultimately chose to be his champion, was seen as his closest partner, and greatest foe. 

Naruto was quick to turn himself around in the water, his body now facing the beach. His tanned arms disappeared beneath the water as he paddled with all of his might. All good surfers knew, the faster your speed when catching the wave, the smoother the drop in would be. If you didn’t pick up enough speed, the current might even pass you by before you have the chance to stand. Or you might just end up pearling, and tipping over completely into the water. 

There it was, the upward tilting of the back end of his board, as it began rising with the trough of the wave. He waited a fraction of a second longer, until he was in that perfect, sweet spot, where stability was at its best for standing up. His pelvis rolled up off the board, from his chest, all the way to his groin. When he was finally in a position that looked a lot like a yoga cobra pose, the muscles in his arms and core flexed. Naruto used this sharp burst of strength to kick his feet up underneath his body, and stand in one smooth motion. 

All of these movements took a lot of effort, but you could tell the professional surfers from the amateurs by how fluid and easy they made it look. An amateur would probably have all of these steps chopped up into fragmented pieces, while with a professional, like Naruto, all of it would look like one simple move. 

Keeping the balance once standing was the hardest part. Now that the surfer is on his feet, he needs to watch himself to make sure he doesn’t lean too much in one direction. Should his body lean too far back, he’d tip over; should his body lean too far forwards, he’d tip over. All the muscles worked together to keep his form steady on the wave, and once he was comfortable, the riding could begin. 

Naruto felt like a god -- like a manipulator of the waves, which felt like clay ready for molding beneath him. Each aggressive snap off the peak of the force of nature, was followed up by a smooth reentry into the center. All he could hear was the loud sounds of rushing water, and his heartbeat thumping in his ears. The pure adrenaline coursing through him was enough to drown out any, and all other thoughts. At this moment, he wasn’t Uzumaki Naruto, he wasn’t an omega, nor a poor boy without parents. 

He simply was. 

In place of where Naruto had once been, now existed just another force of nature. One which was bound to the very wave he glided on with little effort. 

And just like with all good things in this world, it came to an end way too soon. 

Coming down from a surfer’s high was like constantly forcing back the painful withdrawals of a drug, where Naruto wouldn’t feel whole again until he was standing back up on his board. 

The day went away like this in the blink of an eye, until Naruto was simply drifting along on top of the water. His back was pressed into the smooth, yet waxy surface of his board, his eyes gazing up into the orange-tinged sky. This time of day was his favorite, not just because orange is his favorite color, but because of how serene everything was. Even the ocean seemed to settle from a roar, to a gentle motion, as the sun prepared to give its position in the sky away to the moon. 

If not for the risk of drowning, the blonde would be perfectly content sleeping out here -- drifting off peacefully under the stars. Somehow, he felt if he fell asleep, weightlessly rocked by gentle waves, he wouldn’t wake up feeling like all forces of gravity were against him. Gravity hath mercy for the creatures of the deep, does it not? 

A sharp jerking of his board had Naruto peaking one blue eye open curiously. No large rippling in the water suggested that it was a wave that had caused such a violent movement. Even so, Naruto chalked it up to some sort of debris, or a fish accidentally bumping into him, and closed his eyes back over. 

That was, until that scent from earlier forced its way aggressively into his nasal cavity. Out on the water, it was ten times stronger than before, and the blonde had to resist the urge to plug up his nose entirely. 

“Uhg,” Naruto grimaced, his face scrunching up. It wasn’t that the scent was BAD, but… It was definitely dangerous. 

His body reacted before his mind could even catch up, the blonde already paddling in the direction of the shore. Because he had been drifting for so long now, it was a fair distance away, and he could no longer see the sandy bottom of the ocean floor. Everything below now, was a dark, black void, ready to swallow him whole. 

What was it? A shark? A whale? No, it couldn’t be a whale. He may be far out, but he wasn’t THAT far out. Oh shit, what if it really was a shark?

As if on cue with Naruto’s inner ramblings, something textured, but rather smooth brushed against his leg. He knew from stories, and the bit of research he’d done on the potential dangers surfer’s faced in the water, that sharks often bumped their prey to figure out what they were. 

Fuck! He was too young to die! He’d barely even scratched the surface of his surfing career, and the thought of dying in such a gruesome way made his stomach roll with nausea. 

The shore was so close, and he could almost see the floor coming into view beneath him. Just a little longer. Just a little bit more!

Then, as if the creature had been playing a game with him all along -- allowing Naruto to have that sense of false hope in seeing safety in the distance -- it finally bumped his board hard enough to send him flying into the water. The blonde’s shout was swallowed up by the water, until only gurgles could be heard, and only bubbles remained where he had once been. 

Reflexively, in order to keep his contacts intact, Naruto’s eyes snapped shut, shrouding him in darkness. He could feel the shifting of the water around him, reminding him painfully that he was not alone down here. He had to force himself to suppress an all too omega whimper. The scent of his fear surrounded him, thicker than one of Sakura’s deadly health smoothies in the water. 

He didn’t want to die! He wasn’t ready!

Suddenly, Naruto froze, a sound he’d never expect to come from a shark echoing like a melody in the water. The strange tune was like a mixture of chirps, clicks, and something similar to soft whale songs -- almost seductive in its flowing, smooth beauty. The sounds were followed by the soft brush of that smooth skin again, as if the creature were circling around him. The skin, now that he focussed on it closer, almost felt a bit rubbery, like how you’d expect a snake’s skin to feel. However, it was a bit more oily, and slick. 

Contacts be damned, he needed to know what the hell he was in the water with. 

The first time he opened his eyes the salt stung them intensely, and if he were above water they would be watering. Everything was insanely blurry, the only thing he was able to make out being a dark shadow, darting back and forth about him. Bubbles slipped past his lips as oxygen slowly leaked from his lungs, but he was still relatively alright with his current air supply. Being in the water so often, he’d grown rather good at holding his breath for longer periods of time than the average person. 

His contacts were already beginning to feel sticky and grainy against his eyes, but he kept them open nonetheless. He just wanted to see what it was -- just a little peak. 

Naruto narrowed his gaze, trying his best to focus his vision. He was able to make out the massive size of the shadow, slim, but incredibly long in the water. Colors of cream, black, and red melted together, powerful currents brushing the blonde’s skin with the sheer strength the creature expressed while swimming. It moved gracefully, and with purpose in the briney liquid around them, brushing Naruto every once in a while in a way that was almost indicative of curiosity. 

It almost allowed the young omega to forget the fact that this creature -- this thing -- even if not a shark, could be very dangerous. He began paddling backwards in the direction he remembered the shore was located. Nervously, he made sure to keep his movements as subtle as possible, not sure if his attempts at escaping would cause his company to become aggressive. 

He could feel the feathery touches of debris from the seabed swirling around his ankles, letting him know he would be able to touch the floor soon. With renewed vigor, Naruto started moving a bit faster. 

It was a mistake. 

As soon as the creature took notice of the way the blonde was retreating, a sound less like a chirp, and more like a growl echoed throughout the water. The sudden change caused a shout of alarm to escape Naruto, allowing the last of his air reserve to leave his lungs in a plume of bubbles. They danced gracefully to the top, while the blonde thrashed below. His chest was beginning to burn, his heart thumping in his chest as he now made sharp, jerky movements backwards. His feet finally began tangling in the sandy bottom, while the creature changed its direction from swirling circles, in favor of darting directly towards its prey. 

Naruto continued pressing backwards, becoming more and more frantic the closer it drew. Just before he was able to get his head above the water, he got his first clear image of the beast.

Its eyes. 

They were a bright red, practically glowing the darkness of the water. The pupil was slit, with three, comma-like marks circling it. They looked all too human, yet not at the same time, with traces of both primal danger, and intelligent knowing. 

Naruto’s head burst out of the water with a terrified shout, his muscles aching with the force he exerted to rush towards the shore. Once there, he collapsed onto the sand, scurrying back still on his ass. His chest heaved with breaths, a cough escaping him every once in a while from the burning in his lungs. 

Whatever that thing was, Naruto knew one thing for sure: It was dangerous. From its smell, and its movements, to that spine chilling growl, and those eerie, red-glowing eyes. Nothing about it was something familiar to the blonde, who had seen all manner of sea creatures in his life. 

What was it?

\--------------------

Naruto sat across from Sakura in the sea-side restaurant of Salty Stan’s. Though the name often made tourists laugh, if they gave it a chance they’d soon find the food here was absolutely delicious. For a place that sold seafood, it also wasn’t all that expensive either. 

“And it just knocked you into the water?” Sakura asked with a dumbstruck look marring her delicate features. Her eyes were shimmering with both concern, and relief. Relief, because Naruto had managed to get himself out of the water before anything too bad happened. Concern, because she knew, even after such a terrifying experience, Naruto would be back out on the water tomorrow. 

“Yah--” Naruto trailed off for a moment, remembering the events that transpired earlier in the morning. “Honestly, I have no idea what it was, or even what it could have been. I’ve never seen a creature like that before -- not in the aquarium, or in any books. And it sounded… I don’t know. Maybe like a whale, but not exactly. It was almost like it was singing a song, even though I know that it wasn’t.” Naruto stopped talking when their server returned with their drinks; a pink lemonade for Sakura, and a rootbeer float for Naruto. The blonde let out a sound of happiness, immediately latching onto the straw with a hum from the taste. He would have forgotten about their previous conversation altogether, if not for Sakura getting them back on track. 

“Well, whatever it was, it sounds dangerous, Naruto. Maybe you should skip going out on the water tomorrow, who knows if it will have left by then.” The pleading tone of Sakura’s voice almost had Naruto relenting, until he remembered why he had been out on the water today to begin with. 

“I can’t Sakura-chan, you know I can’t afford to miss a single day of training with comps so close. I’ll just go to another beach for a bit, I’m sure it’ll be gone in a couple of days. Something like that belongs out in the ocean, not by the shores,” Naruto waved a hand as he mumbled his words out around the straw. The image was quite charming, even if it might be seen as bad manners, with the cupid's bow on the blonde’s upper lip standing out more from the way the straw pressed against it. 

Sakura couldn’t help the endearing smile that twitched on her face. Even if Naruto swore against anything omegan about him, one could see it if they only looked close enough. 

“Just be careful, alright? Training for the competition won’t mean anything if you’re eaten before they even start,” the pink haired girl chastised, narrowing her eyes so Naruto knew she was being serious. 

“Yes mom,” Naruto teased, laughing when his friend smacked his arm. 

The two saw someone nearing their table out of the corner of their eyes, and turned to face their new company, thinking it was their waitress bringing their food. Instead, they were greeted with a familiar, raven alpha -- the man who Naruto had run into the day before. 

The blonde instantly went on the defense, his posture changing from a relaxed slouch, to straight and stiff. 

“I never expected to run into you two again before I left town,” that baritone voice fell from the stranger’s lips smoothly, in a way that should be illegal. 

“What a coincidence,” Naruto tried to make his tone somewhat polite, but failed miserably when his words came out as a snarl more than anything else. 

The stranger’s lips twitched at the corners in clear amusement, but instead of saying anything rude in return, he held his hand out to Naruto.

The blonde looked down at it, then back up with a look of confusion. 

“I realize we met under strange circumstances, my name is Uchiha Itachi, it’s nice to make your acquaintance--” The raven, who Naruto now knew as Itachi, trailed off, waiting expectantly for Naruto to finish with his own name. 

“Naruto, and I’m Sakura,” the blonde’s friend filled in, her smile polite when she shook the pale hand in Naruto’s stead. “Would you like to sit?” The pink haired girl asked, scooching over in her seat to make more room. 

Naruto wasn’t an idiot, dense sometimes, maybe, but not an idiot. He could tell by the way Sakura’s cheeks almost matched her hair in color, and the way her voice was pitched higher that she was attracted to the other man. Sure, he was attractive, and his pheromones were nice as far as pheromones went -- even nicer than most alphas Naruto had met. That didn’t change the fact that this man was incredibly creepy, and seemed to be popping up everywhere they happened to be lately. Every warning bell in that blonde head was going off like a never ending siren, telling him not to trust this Itachi no matter what. 

“What brings you here, Uchiha-san?” Naruto tried again at being polite. After all, sketchy as he may be, Itachi hadn’t really done anything yet that merited the blonde’s wrath. 

“Well, seeing as how this is a restaurant, same as you I presume,” Itachi responded coyly, as if he were now TRYING to annoy Naruto. 

The blue-eyed omega grunted to show he heard, not trusting himself to say anything further. His excuse to keep quiet came in the form of their food arriving. The poor waitress looked startled when she saw the large alpha now sitting there, tripping over herself as she set the two omega’s food on the table. Her fingers fumbled to pull her pen and notebook out in order to take the raven’s order as well. 

“I’m sorry, I didn’t know another party would be joining, what can I get you sir?” The waitress beamed, the nervous jitter in her voice, and reddening of her cheeks showing that she too was attracted to the Uchiha. 

Naruto bit the tip of his drink’s straw to try and stave off the scoff he knew was coming. He did roll his eyes though, because this was all airing on the edge of being gag-worthy. How stereotypical for two, young omegas to fawn over a strong, handsome alpha. It almost made him want to leap across the table, and knock common sense back into his friend. 

“Oh, no worries darling, I wasn’t exactly a planned guest. I’ll just take your sashimi platter, please,” Itachi waved off the waitresses' apologies, flashing a smile that was more lethal than his looks. 

“R-right away!” The girl shouted, scurrying away before she even finished writing the order down. Her pink cheeks seemed to ignite into flames, as she tried to shift her bands to cover her face better out of embarrassment. 

A few customers looked their way, exchanging whispers amongst themselves. No doubt existed in the blonde’s mind that they were talking about Itachi, and perhaps even plotting if they could set their kids up with him. Hell, even a beta would throw themselves at the man from his looks alone, and they couldn’t even smell his mouth-watering pheromones. 

“Are you a tourist, Uchiha-san?” Sakura asked sweetly, giving the raven her full attention. 

“Please, Itachi is fine,” the alpha glanced at both Naruto and Sakura, making sure they knew he was talking to both of them. “And somewhat. I wouldn’t really call myself a tourist, but I am visiting the town for the first time in a while,” Itachi finished, sipping on a glass of water the waitress had all but slammed on the table, before running away again. 

“Oh? Why haven’t you been around in a while? I’ve never seen you before, do you live nearby?” Sakura rushed the questions out rapid fire, her own swirling hormones probably making her feel a bit high at the moment. 

Even so, Itachi just chuckled, placing his glass back down on the table and nodding his head. 

“I live relatively close, yes, but I haven’t been back in town because I’ve been caring for my little brother. I used to come around all the time before our parent’s unfortunate death, but raising a growing alpha isn’t an easy thing. I had to stay home for a while, just to make sure he was keeping himself out of trouble,” Itachi explained, his gaze now politely trained back on Sakura as he conversed with her. 

“How admirable for you to take up the responsibility of raising him… I’m sorry about your parents, that's so sad,” Sakura’s eyes looked sympathetic, even through the stars practically shining in them. 

Tall, strong, handsome, and good with children, damn Itachi really was a walking wet dream for most omegas. Not for Naruto though, he would be damned if he were drawn in by flowery words, and a pretty face. 

Naruto munched bitterly on a french fry, holding back the hum he’d usually let out at the salty, fried treat. 

“It’s quite alright, it happened so long ago that it doesn’t bother me anymore. When Sasuke was little, he was quite the mama’s boy, but he was so young he hardly even remembers them.” Itachi shook his head with the words, showing the sympathy was not needed. 

“Aww, how old is Sasuke now?” Sakura asked, before taking a bite from her smoked-fish salad. 

“A little older than you and Naruto, I imagine. He’s still a little terror sometimes, and has an attitude worse than a teenager at times, but he grew up well.” A small smile made its way onto Itachi’s face, one that was less charismatic, and more loving. He definitely cared about his brother a great deal. 

“How old are you then? If you’ve already raised a kid, you must be pretty old,” Naruto asked, his breath catching in his throat when he felt Sakura kick him from under the table. He did his best to hide his pain behind a smile, though he was sure it looked strained. 

Itachi tossed his head back and laughed deep in his chest, humored greatly by the prying question rather than upset. 

“I apologize,” Itachi sniffed, rubbing at the corner of his eyes where tears had begun to form. “You are quite a lot like him, in some ways, Naruto. To answer your question though, I’m actually not much older than my otouto, so a bit older than you two,” Itachi replied.

“Why do you avoid actual numbers? Normally, someone would just say ‘oh, I’m twenty,’ or something like that.” Naruto asked again, practically fishing for a flaw in the raven at this point. 

“I feel I’d confuse you if I gave numbers, my people don’t measure time the same way. My clan is an ancient one, with very different customs than most. We are actually some of the original descendants of this land, and many of us keep close to our heritage. If having a number would make you feel better, though, in transference, I’m probably around the age of twenty-seven. Sasuke would be around the age of twenty-five or so by now.” As Itachi explained, he actually seemed to struggle for the first time, his brow crinkling every once in a while. He monitored his words carefully, searching for the right ones to use. 

Again, Naruto hummed, offering little more than a nod as he dove back into his plate. 

“Wow! That’s really cool, to have such a unique heritage. I’m twenty-three, and Naruto is the baby of our group at twenty-two,” Sakura gushed, clearly not feeling the slightest bit guilty at giving up the blonde’s own information. 

Naruto glared up at the pink-haired girl. He loved her to death, but damn she needed to just hush for a few minutes. The blonde didn’t want this bastard knowing anything about him, other than what his eyes told him, and even that was disconcerting. 

Thankfully, the waitress finally came around with the Uchiha’s meal. The faster they all finished eating, the faster Naruto and Sakura could leave the raven in their rearview mirror. 

The delicate slices of fish on the alphas’ plate were arranged beautifully, glistening under the low-lighting of the restaurant. In the center of the plate, there was a little blob of wasabi and a shallow dish of soy sauce. When Itachi used his chopsticks to pick up the pile of wasabi, and place it in the dark liquid, Naruto expected him to mix it in. Instead, he lifted the small dish off the plate entirely, setting it to the side to be forgotten. He made quick work of cleaning the remaining traces of wasabi off his chopsticks, before plopping a slice of salmon into his mouth. 

“Do you not like wasabi or soy sauce?” Sakura quizzed, also picking up on Itachi’s discarding of the flavor enhancers. 

“Not particularly. I think fish should be enjoyed how it is, not with extra condiments shadowing its natural flavoring,” the raven explained after swallowing the fish. 

“Naruto is the same way! Ever since we were kids, he absolutely refused to eat anything on his sashimi,” Sakura smiled at her blonde friend, way more excited about the new discovery than he was. 

“Really?” Itachi asked Sakura, but his gaze was set firmly on Naruto. “Perhaps we share some similarities,” the raven remarked, before placing another slice of fish into his mouth. 

Naruto pressed his lips together, suddenly realizing he didn’t really care for his fried fish anymore. The fresh, carefully sliced fish on the Uchiha’s plate looked mouth-watering, and his own meal felt dry and tasteless in comparison. Still, he forced his gaze back down to his dish, nibbling on the fry that had already been in his hand. 

“So you two have known each other since you were kids? Were you born here, or just moved when you were young?” Itachi asked, his eyes still flickering to Naruto every once in a while. 

“I moved here when I was around the age of six, Naruto grew up here though with--” Sakura stopped short, realizing talking about age and childhood friendship was very different from speaking about the blonde’s parentless upbringing.

“Your mother is omega? Or your father?” Itachi asked, making Naruto choke on the fry in his mouth. 

Itachi quickly handed him a napkin, and turned the straw in the blonde’s cup towards his mouth. Sakura actually looked quite shocked as well by the abrupt question, sitting in her seat with widened eyes. 

“Forgive me, I didn’t mean to overstep any social boundaries if I have,” Itachi apologized, his brow crinkling with concern over the choking blonde. 

“You did, but if you have to know, it was my mother,” Naruto glared, wiping at his face with the napkin after taking a long drink. 

“Was?” Itachi quizzed, lowering his hands back into his lap after releasing the blonde’s drink, satisfied that Naruto wasn’t suffocating on a french fry anymore. 

“Naruto--” Sakura began, probably about to tell him he didn’t have to answer if the conversation was making him uncomfortable. Which, it was, but the blonde wasn’t about to go lie in a corner and become a whimpering mess over it. 

“Yes, was. My parents passed away a long time ago,” Naruto forced out. Just because he was able to stand his ground, didn’t mean the pain wasn’t there. It just meant he was stronger than it. 

This time, sympathy fell over Itachi’s features, making Naruto have to bite back the urge to growl. He didn’t need nor want the gesture, having grown tired of it a long time ago. 

“Then you don’t… That must have been hard for you, Naruto, I’m sorry for your loss. An omega’s parents are the very foundation of their growth, and I can only imagine how difficult it must have been to grow up without that guidance.” It almost seemed like Itachi was trying to console him over something that happened a long time ago. The two omega’s, if they concentrated, could even pick up the trace evidence of pheromones the alpha was releasing. These were different from the typical ones, in that these were meant to soothe upset omega’s, and even upset alphas in massive quantities. 

Naruto was just pissed off by this realization though. How dare Itachi look down on him like this! Just because he was omega, didn’t make losing his parents any different from itachi losing his own. Parents were just parents, and while yes, they were more crucial in certain aspects of some gender’s lives -- his first heat, for example -- the pain wasn’t different. 

Naruto was about to say something in retaliation; yell, maybe, or even just tell the alpha to go fuck himself. Before he could though, Itachi stood up from his seat, reaching towards his back pocket for something. 

“Thank you both for accompanying me this evening, but it is getting late, and I think it is time I take my leave,” Itachi nodded to both of them. His hands came forwards, a black wallet now resting in them. He pulled out a wad of cash, not even bothering to count the amount, which was probably way over the total of the bill. The raven plopped it down on the table, before putting the wallet back into his pants. “This should cover the bill and the tip, and Naruto, you are welcome to take the rest of my meal home with you,” the older man smiled, as if he knew how the blonde had been ogling his food. 

“We are more than capable of paying for our own food,” Naruto bit back, just before Sakura said something, probably to thank him. By now, his pink-haired friend was more than likely used to others footing the bill when she went out. He could even remember this one time when their waiter gave her food completely for free. Naruto, on the other hand, didn’t take it as an act of kindness, but rather, as if the Uchiha was looking down on him. 

“Nonsense. How could I call myself a gentleman if I didn’t pay for the meals of two beautiful omegas,” Itachi stated, as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. 

Naruto would have continued the argument further, but self-consciousness grew inside him as soon as his gender was announced by the raven. He could already feel the stares boring into him, and hear the whispers he’d grown accustomed to. 

“That boy is an omega?! No way...” 

“I thought he was an alpha too…” 

“How sad, he’d probably scare the alphas away. Poor thing will never find a mate…”

Instead, Naruto found himself gritting his teeth, and looking down into his lap with scornful eyes. A monkey in a zoo -- a freakshow -- that’s what he felt like in that moment. 

By now, Itachi had already left, and Naruto couldn’t even hear the soft callings of Sakura’s voice in front of him. His face was on fire, and he was trying his damnedest to hold back the whimper bubbling up in the back of his throat. 

It wasn’t until he felt soft fingers settle over his shoulder, that he looked up into reassuring, emerald eyes. 

“Let’s go home, yeah?” Sakura asked, her head tilting sweetly, and whisking away any anxiety plaguing the blonde. 

He gave her his famous, Uzumaki smile, though it may have been a bit strained, and nodded. 

“Yeah,”

\----------------------

Back in the safety of his home, Naruto took a shower, and allowed the troubles of his day to be washed down the drain. Once out, dried off, and dressed, he settled into the seat at his desk, and turned on his computer. On a plate next to him, was the sashimi Itachi had left behind at the restaurant. If the bastard already had the satisfaction of feeding “two, defenseless, hungry omegas,” then the blonde wasn’t about to let the food go to waste. Besides, it really looked extremely delicious. 

In the comfort of his room, Naruto didn’t even bother with chopsticks; picking up the slices of fish in his fingers, and plopping them, one by one, into his mouth. He rubbed his hands on the pile of napkins next to the plate, before clicking on the google icon on his desktop. His legs bounced mindlessly under the desk, a jittery habit he had never really grown out of. His grandfather always told him it was a sign he was just built for movement -- always on the go, and never able to sit still. Some days, the older man described his hyper-activeness as practically incorrigible. 

Clicking on the search bar, Naruto took a moment to mull over what he should type. Finally, he decided on something more broad, and general. 

“Large fish, red eyes, fast,” he mumbled the words out as he typed them, clicking the ‘enter’ button harshly. 

Several things popped up, though none of them matched what he was looking for. He was granted links for the redeye bass, rock bass, and something strange called a Priacanthidae -- a red fish with huge eyes. He even saw several links for common eye disorders seen in fish, but nothing that matched what he had seen in the water. His eyes still itched from the way his contacts had irritated them, so he didn’t want what little he was able to see to go to waste. 

He continued to be more and more specific with his searches, going as far as to mention the color, and basic shape of the creature. Most of the time, he was either met with more sea bass, or the dreaded ‘no results found’ error. His annoyance levels were growing higher by the minute, especially with how drained he felt from that day’s events. 

Finally, the blonde slammed his head down on the keyboard with a sigh, the, now empty, plate next to him clinking with the force. He was about to just go to sleep like that, pouting over his computer, when a soft knock on his door had his head jerking in that direction. 

“Come in!” He shouted, before Sakura walked in with her pink pajama shorts, and black t-shirt. 

“I heard a bang, are you alright?” The pink-haired girl questioned softly, though something in her eyes said she felt guilty.

“Yah, I’m fine, are you?” Naruto quizzed back, arching one eyebrow in his friend’s direction. 

“I--” Sakura paused, her lips pressing together, as her hands fiddled about in front of her. “I wanted to apologize for today… I let my hormones get the best of me, and I realize Itachi doesn’t make you feel very comfortable. I just--” Again, the pink-haired girl paused. 

“You like him,” Naruto finished for her, turning his chair to fully face her now. 

“I haven’t really known him long enough to say--” Sakura stopped again, sighing deeply before clasping her hands behind her back, and rocking back and forth on her heels. “I think it’s probably impossible not to like him, and I’m sure most omegas trip over themselves to get his attention. But yeah, I do kind of like him. Would it bother you--” Sakura began saying the line Naruto knew was coming, so he cut her off before she could start rambling.

“Sakura, whoever you like is YOUR decision, not mine, or anyone else’s. I will accept them if you do, just… be careful, alright? It could just be me, but something about him sets some kind of nerve off inside me. It isn’t really anger, and I wouldn’t even call it annoyance, but it’s something, and I don’t want you to get hurt,” Naruto consoled, smiling gently at his friend, who looked extremely relieved in that moment. 

“I’ll probably never see him again anyways. I didn’t feel comfortable asking for his number while you were clearly so upset by him, and wanted to make sure you were alright first. I just felt like I at least owed you an apology,” Sakura smiled back, walking further into the blonde’s room so she could plop herself down on his lap, and give him a hug. Instinctually, the pink-haired girl began scenting her omegan friend, rubbing the scent glands in their cheeks together as a way of establishing forgiveness, and affection. Rules of behavior 101, that all young children grow up learning: it is okay for an omega and an omega to scent each other, as a way of showing a familial, or pack-like bond. It is also okay if an omega scents a beta whom they see as pack, and alphas and omegas who were romantically involved also scented each other often. The only no-zone, was when alpha tried to scent another alpha, which usually led to bloodshed. And, of course, unwanted scenting was also frowned upon for obvious reasons. 

They had been together for so long now, that when Naruto smelled Sakura’s warm, sweet scent, he thought of home, and family. It helped to soothe any nerves inside him, and though he wouldn’t allow himself to purr, he did return the gesture. 

“So, whatcha lookin’ at?” Sakura asked, her cheerful, bubbly personality now back. “Mermaids? New interest? I’ve never seen you interested in mythology before, Naru.” The pink-haired girl sent a quizzical look in the blonde’s direction. 

Naruto, who had no idea what she was talking about, turned to look at his computer screen. Sure enough, an article on the mythology and lore behind mermaids was displayed there. He must have gone down this random rabbit hole by clicking buttons with his forehead during his mini-tantrum. He was about to wave it off, and just close the computer over, when a picture on the right of the screen caught his attention. 

“Uh, yah. Just something I saw on Instagram, and thought it was interesting--” the blonde trailed, before turning his focus back to his friend. “Anyways, I’ve gotta get up early for training tomorrow, and am getting kinda tired. Wanna go with me to DJ’s tomorrow and see if any new games are out?” The blonde offered the last part, because he didn’t want it to seem like he was just kicking the girl out. 

Sakura, who loved playing video games on the weekends with Naruto, jumped up excitedly. “Yes! Alright, I’m going to go to bed too, and I’ll see you tomorrow afternoon?” Sakura asked, hoping the blonde didn’t stay out until the sun was setting again. 

“You bet,” Naruto smiled, only turning his chair back to face his computer when Sakura closed his door back over. 

The smile dropped from the blonde’s face, lips pinching a bit as he chewed on the inside of his cheek. He hovered over the photo until he got the magnifying glass icon, and clicked on it. The mermaid in the photo was beautiful, with long hair, glistening, green scales, pale skin, and striking red eyes. She sat atop a rock, the tip of her tailfin dipping in the water, while a ship drifted towards her in the background. Her mouth was open in an O-shape, like she was singing a melody, and drawing the ship to her. 

Curiously, Naruto removed his glasses so his vision was completely blurry, and felt a shiver go down his spine.

He knew. 

He KNEW it was impossible, but add masculine muscle to the girl, a bit more length, cut her hair, and dye her scales a shade of midnight, and she would look just like the silhouette he saw in the water. Nerves growing back up inside him, Naruto slammed his laptop screen shut, and released a bitter laugh. He shook his head, smacking the sides of his face between his palms. 

“I just need to go to sleep, I’m just tired,” he spoke to himself, getting up to turn the light off, and the noise machine on. 

It had to be that he was simply exhausted, because things like that simply didn’t exist.


	3. Going Crazy

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Naruto wakes up from a restless sleep, only to be followed by an even more upsetting day of training. He meets will Shikamaru later at a comic store, only to run into his new stalker? Itachi follows Naruto to spend time with Sakura, and, as usual, gets under the blonde's skin. At home that night, Naruto realizes he's been given a gift he doesn't think he should keep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, this chapter is LONG. I mean 12,000 words long, so be prepared for this one! :) 
> 
> It took me a little longer to get it out, because I was trying to finish the drawing for it. The drawing should be up tonight, but it isn't entirely complete yet, as it is a bit bigger than the other two, and has Itachi, Sakura, and Naruto in it. 
> 
> If you guys have any questions, feel free to comment below.
> 
> Thank you!

Drawing link for this chapter: https://www.instagram.com/p/CG0sc41AXAg/ 

Naruto stood before the cliff face, the wind making his lengthened spikes dance in tendrils across his face. The ribbon-like tufts tickled his cheeks, his blue eyes brighter than ever as they stared at the dark clouds in the distance. They were nearly pitch black in their fury, lighting up every once in a while with bolts of ominous lightning. The boom that followed shook his core, the vibrations feeling like they entered through his ears, and trailed all the way down to his toes. 

When the rolling thunder wasn’t present, the sound of the crashing waves below filled any silence that might’ve existed. The blonde cast his gaze downwards, just past the edge his toes rested against. The drop was at least five stories high, with the sea at the bottom of the cliff appearing as if it were alive with hatred. A bolt of lightning lit up his face, shining off the droplets of water that trailed down his cheeks like tears. 

This was Naruto, that much was obvious, but it didn’t really look like him either. His skin was pale, much paler than the sun kissed glow of his normally tan shade. His eyes, though still blue, had taken on an eerie, icy glow, practically illuminating the ground around him. They reflected each strike of lightning beautifully, as if they were born from the electricity itself. And in the center of this enchanting, sapphire gaze, were dark pupils, which looked more like they belonged to a cat than a human. His blonde hair was no exception, much longer than Naruto would normally allow it to grow. In fact, it looked more like his father’s hairstyle, the one he vaguely remembered as being spiked on top, but hanging almost to the shoulders at the ends. The way the golden, feathery tendrils waved around him, made them feel like the waves in the ocean itself. 

He held an eerie beauty, which, in that moment, made him appear more omega than he ever had before. 

Another flash of lightning -- this one followed almost immediately by a loud, sudden boom, of which coincided with a particularly large wave, crashing against the jagged rocks below. 

The storm was getting closer, and soon it would be anything but safe to stand there. 

In his mind, Naruto knew this. He knew he should turn and walk away, but it was as if an invisible rope had latched itself onto him. He felt like little more than a dog on a leash in that moment, forced to stand in his spot on the edge. 

The mist rising from the sloshing water continued to dampen his clothing and hair, clinging to him like an embrace. It felt nice against his heated skin, which felt like it was housing a burning fire in his veins. Even during his past heats, he’d never felt this aching burn so deeply rooted inside his very bones. It was like his blood had been replaced with lava, and his saliva was like boiling water against his tongue. It was uncomfortable, but for some reason, he didn’t feel afraid. The only time he felt the bitter pangs of fear inside, was when he tried to pull against that invisible rope -- when he tried to step away from the cliff face. 

He should be afraid of the approaching storm, or the water below that would surely drown him, but instead, he was afraid of leaving all of this behind. The sickly feeling in his stomach when he thought of returning to the dry heat of his bed, almost made him gag. Somehow, he was more at peace standing before a raging storm, and feeling the sea-mist soak him to the bone. 

The water, even in all of its unbridled fury, actually looked welcoming, like the bed he never knew he needed. He just knew it would soothe the burning of his flesh, as if it were a mother waiting to kiss away his tears. With his toes already hanging off the edge of the cliff, all it would take is one step forward. 

One step forward, and he would be safe. 

One step forward, and the pain would subside. 

One step forward, and everything would be alright again. 

Still, his heart beat like a wardrumn in his chest, years of human instinct warning him he’d die if he took the plunge. 

And so he remained, stuck on the edge; unable to go forwards out of fear, and unable to go backwards for the same reason. 

Is this what they call being frozen in fear? A reaction, where you are so afraid of any choice presented to you, that you allow yourself to stand still in time.

Was there really anything to be afraid of though? 

Fear, after all, was just an emotion ingrained in survival. The problem came, when the little voice inside him -- some emotional instinct -- called him to step forwards, while his survival instincts screamed for him to walk away. 

Which should he listen to? 

By now, it wasn’t just the ocean mist soaking Naruto, but also the rain that had begun to pour from overhead. 

The storm had finally hit the land, and it was relentless. 

The wind had already been bad, but now it felt like hands pushing him back and forth. Naruto rocked on his feet, his half lidded eyes staring down at the water in pure fear. 

He couldn’t do it… he couldn’t. 

The rain suddenly picked up, until it felt like it was literally trying to drown him. He choked when the water began slipping into his mouth, and down to his lungs. His legs wobbled, before his knees finally buckled and sent him crashing to the ground. Calloused hands fisted the mud beneath his body, the slimy muck slicking through each digit. 

Each gag made the fire flare up inside. 

Each inhale continued to get harder and harder. 

Each movement of his limbs felt heavier, and more impossible than the last. 

He was drowning, but it didn’t really feel like he was drowning on the water that trickled into his lungs. This feeling was drier, and scratchier. If anything, the small streams of water sliding down his trachea felt like a momentary relief. 

He was drowning from the air, which stung worse than acid in his chest. 

He couldn’t breath. 

He was going to die. 

Naruto shot up in bed, his chest aching, and his lungs burning for air. Stumbling over the edge, he heaved and let out wheezes of panic as he flung his nightstand drawer open. His fingers rummaged sporadically around, feeling the contents of the space, and searching for a familiar shape. 

He would have let out a sound of pure happiness, had it not been for the fact that he literally couldn’t even breathe. His hand clasped around the smooth, cylindrical, plastic surface of his inhaler, and it took every bit of strength he could muster in his weakening limbs to bring it to his mouth. That first coating in his lungs felt wet, cool, and just all around relieving, as his breath began to even out. 

Naruto rested his back against the side of his bed, taking two more hits off the inhaler for good measure. 

It had been so long since he’d woken with this issue, and he had been so happy in thinking he was over that phase in his life. 

These breathless mornings were just another thing the doctors were unable to describe. Ultimately, his condition had been chalked up to some kind of asthma, born from some form of sleep apnea, since it happened more often when he slept. 

Now, the blonde was no medical professional, but he was pretty sure the phrases “some kind,” and “some form,” were just an evasive way of saying “yah, we have no idea what is wrong with you.” 

He’d also done a bit of googling, against the warnings Sakura gave him about self-diagnosing on the internet, and found both conditions his doctors had tagged him with. He didn’t share any of the characteristics of sleep apnea, other than the occasional breathing problem. As far as the asthma thing went, well, he guessed that one could be possible. However, it was strange that it just came on at random times, but never came on for the typical irritants. He didn’t have difficulty breathing when someone sprayed perfume, nor when doing physical activity, or when the pollen count was high. Unless he was just allergic to breathing and being alive as a whole, this wasn’t an ordinary form of asthma. 

What a great way to start the morning. 

He was lucky he’d been at home when the attack hit, because if he’d been out and about he would have been screwed. Since it’d been so long since his last one, Naruto had assumed that whatever the mysterious condition was had just disappeared, and stopped carrying the inhaler with him. It was rare for him to struggle with the issue while out and about, versus when laying in bed at night, but it HAD happened before. 

Naruto glanced at the bedside clock on his nightstand, the glowing numbers appearing very fuzzy without his glasses. When he squinted, he could just barely make out the time as being almost six-thirty in the morning. His alarm was set to go off in just thirty minutes, so there wasn’t any point in trying to go back to sleep -- as if he’d be able to go back to sleep after that scare anyways. Might as well just get up and start getting ready, and with a begrudged groan, he did. 

\---------------------

Naruto pulled up on the east-side beach, which was at least twenty miles from the one he’d been to the day before. He told himself he was only doing this to sooth Sakura’s worries since, after all, the other beach was his absolute favorite. What he wouldn't admit to, was the slightest bit of fear he felt when he thought of going there. Hopefully, this far away from the shores of his usual spot, he’d be safe. 

As soon as the blonde was standing on the edge of the water, and ready to dive in, he made sure to tilt his head back and smell the air. The usual, briney scents of the beach and seaweed were there, but he couldn’t pick up any traces of that devilish smell from yesterday. Letting out a relieved sigh, Naruto’s grim expression morphed into that of joy and peace. With that thing gone, and his worries from this morning put behind him, he could go back to being his cheerful self. 

Well… That’s what he thought. 

Naruto had entered the water with an excited vigor, his heart thrumming with anticipation rather than the taint of fear. He’d caught a few decent waves, and even though they weren’t nearly as good as the ones he rode at his usual spot, they were still good. Practicing some new moves came at the cost of quick exhaustion, his energy expending faster than it normally would have if he were just riding like usual; the breaks he took inbetween, where he just drifted on his board, were much longer. He should have known better than to allow this lack of movement after what happened the previous day, but his happiness for being out on the water had completely overshadowed logic and reasoning. 

Just like yesterday, he smelt it first. 

His head instantly snapped up from where it had been resting against his board after a particularly hard ride. The fear in his eyes would be clear to anyone who saw him, but he was completely alone out here. His arms and legs still burned from exertion, and even his breathing had yet to even out. This meant that when something cold and wet latched onto his ankle, he was unable to react in time. All that escaped the blonde, before his head dipped under the water, was a shriek of terror. 

Not again. 

This couldn’t be happening AGAIN!

It felt bitterly like deja vu when the blonde felt the creature looping around him. The sounds it made today were the same as yesterday, but instead of soft and melodic, they almost sounded sharp, eerie, and aggravated. 

Was… Was he getting lectured by a fish? 

Naruto, once again, opened his eyes in the water. Normally, his contacts would stay in their place, and just become uncomfortable in the saltiness of the water. This time, however, some water managed to make its way under one of the lenses, causing it to separate from his eye, and drift out into the water. 

The blonde’s first instinct was the slam that eye shut to try and protect it, however, just as he closed it, he realized something very shocking. 

But that couldn’t have been right, could it?

Swallowing the lump of nerves in his throat, Naruto opened the clenched eye back up, and noticed, not only did his eye not sting, but he could see with overwhelming clarity. It was as if he were wearing a pair of goggles, though the water so close to the coast was a bit murky from typical tourist pollution. He could see the flashes of the creature moving quickly through the water, circling around him like he thought, but he couldn’t really SEE see it. It was like taking pictures with a flashing camera to illuminate the room around you. You were given a second of reprieve from the darkness, but it was only just. 

Trying to pull up some form of bravery -- the same courage he used when fighting alphas, and when competing in competitions -- he reached up to pull his other contact out of place. He closed the eye for just a second to adjust, and watched curiously as the lense drifted off into the current. 

He hardly had time to find anything more than intrigue in the weird discovery of his suddenly clear sight, when he saw a flash again in the water. Realizing he was running out of air quickly, Naruto used as much strength as he could to push his head above the surface. He took a whole of three breaths, before he was dragged back under, this time more prepared with a full chest of air. 

It was frustrating, and all he wanted to do was yell and scream at this thing to leave him alone, or even to ask it what it could possibly want with him. Like he’d waste perfectly good oxygen on the fucker though, and he really needed to stop acting as if this was a person he could have a conversation with. It was just some kind of strange fish, or creature, nothing more and nothing less. 

Naruto started trying to use his trick from yesterday, slowly backing up in hopes that the damned thing wouldn’t notice. He should’ve known it was smarter than that, by the almost immediate growl of disapproval verbiating through the water. 

A flash of red, followed by a shimmer of black scales. That was all he’d see as it looped around him at an impossibly fast speed. 

What was it doing?

If it was trying to get his attention, it won. If it was trying to scare him senseless, well fuck, it had definitely won. 

He didn’t know what those constant clicks and songs were meant to achieve, but it almost felt like this thing was trying to speak with him. 

Naruto wondered, what would happen if he tried to make a similar sound back? Would that appease it, and allow him to slip away, if he just gave it the attention in seeked?

Gathering his courage, the blonde managed to let out a broken, short whine in the depths, wincing at how shaky and desperate it came out. The sound itself was very omegan, and pitiful, and he honestly hoped it didn’t make him seem like prey. Then again, down here in its domain, he really WAS prey. 

The water suddenly felt startlingly still, but he was still unable to see where the creature was located. At least when it was moving around him, he had an idea, but now, he was left floating blindly. His lungs were beginning to burn again, and even if he was pulled back under, he desperately needed to take a much needed breath. 

Ignoring the way his body wanted to stay frozen in place, Naruto forced himself to swim upwards and breach the surface. 

One breath -- nothing.

Another breath -- still nothing. 

Third breath… it was quiet. 

For a moment, he allowed himself to believe maybe it really had decided to leave him alone. Maybe his plan to try and answer its calls in the water, did make it pity him and swim away. 

If only. 

As he was looking around for his board, cursing himself for not tethering his ankle to it while drifting, he caught the glimmer of something red a little ways away. Up here, his vision was back to being relatively blurry, so he squinted to the best of his ability. 

His heart nearly stopped at what he saw, for sitting a couple of meters away, a pair of crimson eyes squinted back. The creature’s features were much sharper than human standards, with scales fading in and out in patches about its ivory face. Fins, and sharp, horn-like spines stuck out of its head, making it look every bit the predator it was. Its lips were thin, and tinged a slight shade of blue, as if it were freezing cold. Its eyes were slightly slanted on its head, but not in a way that Naruto didn’t notice how similar they were to his own. Despite the obvious, more animalistic differences, this creature looked strikingly human. From the midnight black of its hair, with mild blue highlights, to the piercing, slit pupil, and red glow of its eyes, everything about this thing was terrifying. 

Naruto was unable to do anything but stare, his heart beating so hard that the being could probably feel it vibrating the water. He was only able to force words out, when it looked like the creature was moving closer to him.

“What are you?” Naruto asked, his own words sounding breathy, and gargling a bit when some water drifted into his mouth. 

He coughed a bit on the saltiness of the water he accidentally swallowed, but refused to let his eyes drift off of the creature for even a second. Its eyes blinked, revealing a thin, horizontal moving membrane like you’d see on a bird, which opened and closed as a second lid. It made the blonde shiver at how creepy, and just completely alien it was. 

Those thin lips opened, as if it were about to say something, and then closed again abruptly. The creature looked startled, its eyes glancing left and right, before they narrowed dangerously. And fuck, whatever this demon-like being was afraid of, Naruto did not want to see it. The blonde, taking advantage of the male’s distraction, turned around and bolted for the shore. His muscles cried, as he was once again overtaken by that panicked scream inside. 

‘I need to get away, I need to get away, I need to get away!’ Repeated over and over in his head like a mantra -- the only thing keeping him grounded to reality at this point, in a literal sea of things that should be impossible. 

When he was almost to the sandyness of the beach, his toes barely caressing against the squishy, yet rocky floor, Naruto chanced a glance back to where he and the creature had had their little face off. He wasn’t sure whether to feel relieved, or panicked to see that it was nowhere to be seen. He was just a few strokes away from the beach by now, so it didn’t seem possible -- even with the being’s speed -- for it to catch up in time. 

His panic came in the form of uncertainty. 

He had no idea what that thing could be, and any explanation he could think of was too implausible for him to do anything more than laugh at. It wasn’t human, but its basic features were. It was like one of those children's books, where you dress up a template of a person with stickers. By the time the picture was finished, it looked less human, and more like a monster hidden beneath layers of handbags and glitter. 

Dragging himself up on the shore for the second time in two days, Naruto glared to the side when he saw his board wash up a little ways away from him. 

“Fucking traitor,” the blonde growled out at it, realizing he was really losing his mind if he was not only talking to a fish, but now his surfboard as well. 

\--------------------

“Hey, Shika?” Naruto announced that he was about to ask a question of the young, brunette beta, who always held a droopy look of permanent boredom. He was supposed to meet up with Sakura in about an hour, so beforehand, he was spending some promised time with Shikamaru at the comic shop. 

“Hm?” Shikamaru acknowledged, sparing the blonde a glance as he picked up the newest addition of ‘Fight or Flight.’ 

“You wouldn’t happen to know the symptoms of schizophrenia, would you?” Naruto asked hesitantly, waiting for the strange look he’d get at the peculiar question. He should have known better with Shimamaru though, who merely began listing things off like a textbook. 

“Delusions, hallucinations, inability to think and coordinate properly, paranoia, among many others and some more physical expressions -- different people experience different things. The symptoms -- especially the earlier indications -- are never quite the same for everyone, and aren’t usually what they appear to be in the media. Most people with schizophrenia live relatively normal lives, and only those rare few with severe cases, and violent tendencies are institutionalized. Why?” Shikamaru instructed his friend, placing the comic back on the shelf as if he’d been able to read while speaking. Then again, the brunette was a freaking genius, so maybe he had been. 

The beta wasn’t even out of his twenties, and already worked full time as a psychiatrist for the local hospital. Because of this, Naruto knew, if anyone could figure out whether or not he was actually going crazy, it would be Shikamaru. 

“I’ve been… seeing this thing, out in the water. At first, I thought it was just some kind of shark, but now--” Naruto trailed off, almost hoping he was just delusional, because then he wouldn’t have to face the fact that there could really be such a creature out there. 

Shikamaru stared at Naruto a bit longer this time, his lips pressing together tightly, before he hummed and nodded his head. 

“Many men get diagnosed in their early twenties, so it isn’t outside the realm of possibility. Has anyone else been able to see this ‘thing’ you’ve been witnessing in the water?” The brunette had this way of speaking, where his words consoled you, but also made sure you understood the facts. The lack of sugar coating was much welcomed to Naruto, who was willing to believe anything at this point other than his own eyes. 

“No, but that’s only because no one else has been with me during my practices,” Naruto stated, playing with a figurine on one of the displays in the back of the store. He made sure to stick relatively close to Shikamaru, not wanting everyone in the shop to hear his crazed banter. 

“Have you experienced anything else out of the ordinary at any other point during the day, or is it only when you’re in the water?” Shikamaru asked, now in full on doctor mode, and making Naruto feel vaguely unnerved. He couldn’t stand doctors, but in the back of his head, he still knew this was his friend. 

“No, just in the water. I mean, I’ve been a bit tired lately, but not anymore than usual,” Naruto explained further, his head cocking to the side with thought. 

“Well, schizophrenia isn’t like most mental health ailments, and comes on rather sporadically. It doesn’t need a trigger to be present, meaning it wouldn’t specifically limit itself to when you are in the water. Considering the rest of your behavior as well, especially your tendency to be overly social, I really don’t think this is the problem you have, Naruto. Maybe there really is some kind of shark or fish out there, and you just saw wrong because of the hormones produced by fear. People see all kinds of things when their adrenaline kicks in, many of those which are just figments of their imagination--” Shikamaru paused his ramblings when he took in the distraught look on the blonde’s face. He rubbed a hand down the back of his neck, before letting out a sigh. “Just relax, I’m sure it’s nothing, and if it turns out that it IS something, then we’ll take care of it, alright? Leave the worrying to Sakura, it doesn’t suit you.” Shikamaru chuckled, his own diluted version of a laugh, when Naruto shoved him. 

“Ah ah ah!” A geeky looking dude, with bulky glasses tutted at them, waving his hands in a subduing motion. “Not around the figurines! If they break, you get the pay for them,” the man warned, his frizzy, blonde hair sticking up comically in agitation. 

Naruto nodded, apologizing, and they both waited for the guy to walk off before breaking out into laughter, both of them trying to stifle the sounds as much as possible. The blonde had glanced up to glance at the man’s back as he neared the register at the front of the store, making sure he wasn’t glaring at them or returning for revenge. His eyes, however, ended up catching the form of someone, who made his heart stop in his chest. Immediately, he grabbed Shikamaru by the arm, and forced him to crouch behind a bookcase. 

“What--” Shikamaru began, but his words were cut off by Naruto camping a tan hand over his mouth, while placing a finger over his own. 

“Don’t talk too loud, but that guy over there,” Naruto jerked his head to the front of the store where he knew the general location of the entrance to be. “I’m pretty sure he’s been following me. He’s literally shown up everywhere I’ve been for the past few days, and I don’t think it’s a coincidence at this point,” Naruto rambled out quickly in a hushed voice, finally removing his hand from Shikamaru’s mouth so the man could talk. 

“Maybe you two are just similar people, and like similar things,” the brunette tried to reason, not convinced in the slightest. 

Naruto arched his brow in an “are you serious,” sort of way, before rising up just enough that he could peek over the top of the book case they hid behind. He gave a hand gesture to Shikamaru, silently calling him to peek as well. 

If the beta was aggravated by the strange situation, he didn’t vocalize it, only letting out a sigh as he rose up to crouch beside his friend. 

“Look at him, does he really look like the kind of person to read comic books, or have figurines all over his bedroom?” Naruto asked, staring at Itachi, who had his hands shoved into his slacks as he browsed a wrack full of action comics.

“More like the type to have strange, tacky artwork, and display cases full of old war relics,” Shikamaru agreed this time, his eyes narrowing at the fit form of the alpha. “Why would he be following you though? Does he know you’re--?” Shikamaru trailed, knowing full well how much Naruto hated to be reminded of his own gender. 

“Yah, the freak was able to smell it from the first time we met, and I’m starting to wonder if that meeting was actually a coincidence or not too.” Naruto let out a startled grunt, ducking quickly when Itachi turned to face their direction. He felt almost like he had in the water, with that impending feeling of dread like he was prey being hunted. 

The blonde looked to his side, noting happily that Shikamaru’s reflexes caused him to duck back down as well. Both of their backs were pressed against the bookcase, their knees bent in a squat, prepared to bolt if they had to.

“Maybe you should contact the police or something,” Shikamaru whispered, sounding breathy, and similar to how Naruto felt. The blonde couldn’t be making this up if Itachi’s presence was enough to get a reaction out of someone like the brunette, who barely showed a reaction to anything. Not to mention the beta couldn’t even SMELL the mass of pheromones that surrounded the raven; pheromones, which made Naruto’s skin crawl. 

“And tell them what?” Naruto asked, peeking around the side of the bookcase to make sure Itachi was still a safe distance away. “I’m a paranoid omega, who is just like the fifty other reports of stalking they get in a day? I’m telling you, Shika, they’ll take one look at my gender, and roll their eyes. Not to mention Sakura’s crush on the creep--” the younger trailed, glaring at the floor. He really didn’t like the idea of his best friend engaging with Itachi, let alone dating him. But without any real evidence as to why she couldn’t date the man, he’d just been seen as an overprotective friend, or worse, jealous. 

“Your gender shouldn’t matter, Naruto. If you have reason to believe you’re being followed, then they have to listen,” the brunette tried to reason, some of his hair falling out of the tight ponytail he kept on his head. 

With his hair down, even just some of it, Shikamaru looked much younger, and in that moment he looked more youthful than Naruto could remember. His concern for the blonde was obvious, and Naruto could tell, gratefully, that the beta believed him. 

“It shouldn’t matter, but it does. It only takes a handful of omegas to cry wolf, and for the police to expend money and resources into enough faux accusations, before all claims of stalking are written off as ‘just paranoia’.” Naruto stated gruffly, knowing the police wouldn’t be any help until he had an irrefutable amount of evidence. So far, all he had against Itachi was his tendency to ‘coincidentally’ show up everywhere Naruto ventured, and the unsettling instinct that told him the raven should be avoided. Naruto’s instincts, while sometimes farfetched, were almost never wrong. There was something more to Itachi than the alpha was letting on, of this Naruto was sure. 

The blonde looked up from the ground, focussing his gaze back on where he knew Itachi was standing. 

Only, he wasn’t standing there anymore. 

The raven was gone, and the lingering of his scent in the air told Naruto he was still in the shop somewhere. 

“He’s gone!” Naruto whisper-yelled to Shikamaru, alerting the brunette, who slowly stood to glance over the bookcase, and scan the store. 

Instantly, Shikamaru jumped back down, and waved his hand to tell Naruto to move. Both of them practically tripped over one another in their efforts to move to the other side of the wooden structure they hid behind. 

“Stop shoving,” Shikamaru chastised once they had managed to shift safely to their new destination. The brunette hesitantly looked over to the side they had previously been resting against, quickly jerking back when Itachi almost saw him. “Start moving to the door,” the brunette instructed, sounding much calmer than Naruto did. 

“What if he sees us?” The blonde asked, his eyes wide, and looking to his friend for more comfort than just a loose ‘escape’ plan. 

“Then he sees us. If what you say about him stalking you is true, then he already knows we’re in here. At this point, we are just trying to avoid a direct confrontation. If we continue playing this game of ‘ring around the rosy’ with bookcases, he’s eventually going to catch us. Better to try, and end up failing,” Shikamaru reasoned, already making his way to the front doors of the store. 

The way he moved told Naruto that his friend was saying he could either stay here alone, or follow. 

He chose the latter. 

As they snuck through the aisle, and saw the front door come into sight a short distance away, they passed the checkout counter. The store attendant, who had yelled at them only moments before, stared down at them as if they’d lost their mind. Naruto merely put a finger over his mouth, and glared at the man, continuing to shuffle across the floor after Shikamaru. In retrospect, two, fully grown men, crawling over the floor like they were part of a ninja operation, was probably quite humorous, and more than a little strange. 

They were almost there, and Shikamaru was already preparing to open the door to the store. Naruto caught up quickly, but there was one thing they had completely forgotten about in their chaotic thoughts. Even the brunette looked dumbstruck when he opened the door, and realized what had slipped from his mind. 

The door to the store, like many of the tacky little shops on the boardwalk, had a bell, which rang startlingly loudly in the quiet space. 

Naruto held his breath, staring at Shikamaru with wide eyes. His heart thudded, as he prepared to just bolt out of the store altogether. The hairs on the back of his neck, however, stood on and, as the beta in front of him redirected his gaze to something -- or rather, someone -- who Naruto knew was standing behind them. 

“Naruto?” The familiar, skin tingling voice quizzed, sounding quite amused. 

Instantly, Naruto shot up from the ground, letting out the fakest laugh he’d ever heard come from his mouth. Typically, the blonde prided himself on his ability to laugh, and smile, even in the worst of situations. In that situation though, he found himself unable to force out anything more than a strained, and broken warble. 

“Itachi--” the blonde began with an exclamation of painfully obvious false-surprise. “Uh, Shikamaru and I were just practicing for, uhm, a tournament… didn’t even realize you were in here!” Naruto tried, and could literally see the mental facepalm Shikamaru gave, from the look in his eyes alone. 

“Oh? And what kind of tournament has you running across the floors, and hiding behind bookcases?” Itachi asked, making it very obvious that he knew the two of them had been dodging, and hiding from him the whole time. Even still, Naruto had started this lie, and he was going to see it through to the end. 

“Oh, you know-- laser tag?” Rather than sounding like a statement, the title he uttered for their so-called ‘tournament,’ sounded more like a question. 

This time, Naruto was the one to mentally facepalm, especially when Itachi arched a well-kept brow at him. 

“Laser tag?” He echoed, glancing down at Shikamaru who, despite looking like he just wanted to toss Naruto at Itachi and run, nodded in confirmation. 

“Yep,” Naruto rocked back on his feet, averting his eyes from the scrutinizing stares everyone in the store was giving him. “Laser tag--” he drew out his own confirmation, at least satisfied that this time, it didn’t come out as a question. “Anyways, uh, I’m just gonna…” Naruto pointed at the door, already slowly backing up so he could leave. 

The store attendant had this look on his face, that said he really hoped they wouldn’t come back. All of this attention set on him, and his very obvious lie, was beginning to make Naruto feel sick to his stomach, to the point that he really just wanted to escape as fast as possible. He felt so much like a cornered animal, and he was sure if Itachi got too close, he’d lash out. 

“I actually planned on going to the video game store after this, just looking around for Sasuke. Would you accompany me, or is that too far out of your way?” Itachi asked, and damn the bastard, because Naruto SAW it this time. 

That knowing look, that said Itachi knew exactly what he was doing. 

If there was any doubt in the blonde’s mind over the prospect of the raven following him, it was completely doused now. He had to meet Sakura there though, having promised they could go together. He couldn’t just ditch her, and even if they met up somewhere else before heading to the gaming shop, they’d still end up at the same place as Itachi. The alpha would then know Naruto was avoiding him, and the blonde worried what that might lead to. So, instead of ignoring every ounce of his being telling him to decline, he simply muttered a soft…

“Sure, I was meeting Sakura there anyways. Uh, Shika, you wanna come?” Naruto asked his friend, giving him a desperate look over his shoulder. He knew what the answer was going to be, simply because he knew Shikamaru was supposed to meet up with Temari for their date night. 

“Sorry, I’ve gotta get home, or Temari will destroy half of the house. You know how she gets when I rain check on her,” Shikamaru stated, already half out the door, the apologetic tone in his voice doing little to sooth Naruto. 

“Oh, yah, I forgot. Have fun,” Naruto waved, watching dejectedly as his friend’s form disappeared in the crowd outside. His hand was still frozen in the air when a strong presence was felt at his side. 

“Looks like it’ll just be you and I for our walk there,” Itachi stated, way too cockily, with a look on his face that just screamed triumph.

The bastard knew he’d won this round. 

“Yah--” Naruto trailed, not even looking up as he left the store. 

As they traversed along the busy, wooden walkways, the tension in the air was so thick it could be cut with a knife. Naruto felt every nerve standing on end, and couldn’t seem to calm down his breathing to save his life. He worried he might have another asthma attack right here if he wasn’t able to sooth his anxiety ridden brain. 

What does he want?

Why is he following me? 

Why is his scent so… off?

These were only a few of the questions rattling through his head, especially that last one. Beneath all of the musky, strong aroma of alpha, was something terrifyingly familiar. A scent that was briney, and smelt of the sea. He tried to write it off as perhaps Itachi had been swimming lately, since he was technically something like a tourist. But the blonde knew the scent was too far ingrained in the alpha’s own pheromones for it to be the lingering of a day at the beach. For example, there was a difference between smelling a coconut-oil infused balm on someone's lips, and smelling a coconut directly from the source. The scent of the oil was just a slighted twinge from wear, while the smell of a coconut directly was stronger, and more natural. If this briney scent wasn’t a part of Itachi’s own, then it would just be the faintest afterthought in the air. Instead, it was infused wholly with the rest of the raven’s pheromones. 

And the part of it that was familiar, was the part that scared him the most, because this close to Itachi, he smelt all too similar to the creature Naruto had seen in the water. Of course, there were differences, as Itachi was his own being entirely, but there was still an irrefutable similarity. Enough so, that Naruto almost wanted to ask the raven about it, but he held his tongue. 

“So, Naruto, how has your day been going, aside from practicing for your ‘laser tag tournament’ of course?” Itachi quizzed, his eyes boring into the side of Naruto’s head. 

Had Naruto not known any better, he would have missed the obvious mockery in Itachi’s tone. It wasn’t the kind to be full of malice, just humor over the blonde’s lie, but it still was reason enough for Naruto to feel aggravated. 

“It was fine, nothing special,” Naruto replied shortly, looking anywhere but at Itachi. 

The raven hummed thoughtfully next to him, his footsteps oddly silent in comparison to Naruto’s own, less graceful ones. 

“What are you and Sakura browsing for today?” Itachi asked another question, the constant attempts at small talk become a little annoying. 

“Uh, I’m not really sure, we just like to look and see if anything new has come out,” Naruto, once again, gave a short and sweet answer.

“You don’t like me very much, do you?” Itachi mused, a slight chuckle heard in his words. 

Naruto was immediately silent, not really sure how he should answer that question. Would it be wrong for him to just be blatantly honest, and tell Itachi how much of a creep the blonde thought he was? What would happen if he angered the alpha with his response? 

Naruto had never really found himself backing down from a challenging alpha before, and had never felt he needed to lie to avoid one until today. With Itachi though, it was like he needed to careful monitor everything he displayed. It made him angry, and resentful, so he decided to ignore those instincts telling him to smile, and tell pretty lies. 

“No, I don’t,” the blonde finally replied, his voice not carrying any particular emotion, but you could tell it was the honest answer. 

“May I ask why?” Itachi gazed down at Naruto, who finally looked up to meet the other’s onyx eyes head on. 

“Because you make me uncomfortable, you’re creepy as hell, and you seem like the kind of guy to keep a lot of secrets. For all I know, you could have a whole basement full of dead bodies at home.” The second half of Naruto’s admittance was spoken more to himself than the raven. 

Itachi smiled, his perfect, straight, white teeth flashing dangerously in the warm glow of the day. 

“I can assure you that I don’t have a basement full of corpses. As for your uneasy feelings for me, I’m sorry if I’ve done anything to make you uncomfortable. Truth is, I find you rather intriguing, but not in the way I know you are worried about, omega,” Itachi stated, his words sending a shiver of fear down Naruto’s spine. 

“What do you--” Naruto’s question was cut off by a shout rising from the crowd. 

“Naruto--!” Sakura’s cheerful voice called out. 

The blonde snapped his head in the direction he’d heard his name come from, and saw Sakura waving to him from out in front of a little coffee shop. The shop itself smelled sweet, like baked goods, and was directly across from the game store. 

Leaving Itachi behind, Naruto’s main focus became the pink-haired girl, who wore a cute, teal colored crop top with shoulder slips, and a white, ruffled, tennis-style skirt. Her hair was half done up with a white scrunchy, decorated with a blue flower pattern. 

The blonde smiled brightly at his best friend, practically bouncing his way to her with newly found vigor. 

“Hey, Sakura-chan!” He greeted when he was close enough, pulling her into a loose hug, which she returned happily. 

“I know you were hanging out with Shikamaru, and it was taking you awhile to get here, so I stopped and got us smoo--” Sakura paused when she caught sight of the other man who had accompanied Naruto, her face immediately flushing. Her hand, which had been about to hand over a clear cup with a thick, yellow smoothie to Naruto, also froze mid air. 

Not wanting to feel the awkward tension that would arise from Sakura not knowing what to say, Naruto grabbed the cup from her. 

“Thanks, what flavor?” Naruto asked, already knowing the answer, but feeling like he needed to distract the pink-haired omega. 

“Oh, mango-pineapple, what else? There isn’t any other flavor of smoothie you’ll drink,” Sakura giggled as she stated the obvious fact, taking a sip from her own, blueberry-pomegranate smoothie. “Hey, Itachi,” she gave a small wave, “did you and Naru run into each other again?” She asked after swallowing, her voice automatically raising a couple of octaves. 

“yes, ‘Naru,’ and I happened to be shopping in the same store,” Itachi replied, graciously leaving out the part about Naruto and Shikamaru’s pitiful escape attempt, but obviously making fun of the childhood nickname. 

“There’s always so much to do around here, that sometimes I forget how small the town is. Running into each other three times in a row, that has to be a record or something,” Sakura mused, as they began to walk across the way to the game store. 

“Or something,” Naruto mumbled, knowing the raven had heard him when he caught the man’s eyes. He quickly looked away, something very pout-like making its way onto a tan face, though he’d definitely deny it if anyone pointed it out. 

“Do you play video games too?” Sakura asked, glancing at Itachi, and smiling graciously at Naruto when he grabbed her arm, pulling her out of the path of a guy on a skateboard. 

“No, I’m just browsing for a friend,” Itachi stated, a curious look passing over his features when he examined the posters decorating the windows of the shop. He stepped forwards, pulling the door open for both Naruto and Sakura. The pink-haired omega smiled and thanked him, while Naruto just stared at that devilish smirk on the raven’s features, only offering a nod as his thanks. 

A friend? Hadn’t Itachi said he was looking for a game for Sasuke back at the comic store? 

Naruto’s eyes narrowed suspiciously while he began looking over some of the shelves that housed games for the PlayNation4. He picked up one he recognized from a popup ad on his computer -- “Grand Stealth 7” -- flipping it over so he could read the back. The casing was decorated in red and black, the colors going together rather nicely. He became wholly invested in the plot, where you play as the main character -- Alexandar Dextrus -- an ex-hitman, who gets pulled back into the dark side of the world he lives in when his little brother goes missing. Naruto looked over some of the game shots, his eyes widening with wonder at the pretty graphics. The blonde nearly jumped out of his skin, though, when an arm reached past him, picking up a lame game that everyone knew was shit. everyone who knew anything about gaming, that is. Unable to bear the painful thought of even his worst enemy investing money in that train wreck, he swallowed his annoyance enough to speak. 

“Don’t get that,” the blonde instructed, placing the game he’d been looking at under his arm with a pondering hum. 

“This one?” Itachi waved the game he was holding in front of him. 

Naruto rolled his eyes, the corner of his lips cocking upward in amusement. For someone who seemed very good at articulating his words, and allegedly planning out an entire stalking scheme, Itachi seemed rather clueless in some more mundane areas. 

“Yes, that one. It sucks -- the controls are weird, the story is trash, and they somehow managed to completely screw up their free-combat system. Whoever you are buying for will be able to stand it for maybe ten minutes, before they toss it out the window,” Naruto explained, busying himself with picking up another game. He cast a glance over his shoulder to check up on Sakura, who seemed quite content admiring the shop’s stuffed animal collection at the moment. 

“Which one would you recommend then?” Itachi asked, placing the crappy game back on the shelf, and looking to the blonde for advice. He rested his elbow against the surface of a nearby display case, leaning his weight in a way that was insanely cocky. His head tilted to the side, making him appear more like a cat about to cause mischief than the creep Naruto believed him to be. 

Sighing, the omega placed the game he’d been looking at back on the shelf. His eyes skimmed over the array of cases in front of him, noting some of the possibilities. 

“If they are a new gamer, then they’d probably like something with an easier combat system. I personally like to play games that have at least some level of story and plot to them, but a few that are almost completely combat driven are really fun to play with other people…” Naruto clicked his tongue, before finally making a decision, and pulling two cases off the shelf. “Here, try these. This one is more story, and quick timed events than actual fighting, but it’s still really good,” Naruto pointed to the first case, then moved to the next. “ And this one has some combat inside of the main story, and a free arena where you can battle with friends,” he explained, releasing the games when Itachi took hold of them. 

Blue eyes caught sight of an interesting bracelet on Itachi’s arm when the pale hand brought the new games up for examination. Well, it wasn’t necessarily the bracelet itself that was too eye-catching -- made of a simple, black-leather, and consisting of multiple crossing bands -- but the symbol dangling from those leather bands wasn’t any he recognized. Naruto’s first instinct was to assume it was the logo of a company, perhaps a sportsy one, since Itachi looked fit enough to be a regular at the gym. But sports logos were typically sharper, and more bold with their coloration. 

Hurting his brain from trying to figure out what company the logo belonged to, he decided he’d just ask. 

“Your bracelet, where’d you buy it?” Naruto quizzed, trying his best to make his voice sound as disinterested as possible. 

Itachi looked down at his bracelet, as if he’d worn it for so long he’d forgotten what it looked like. 

“This? It’s the symbol of my family. I didn’t buy it, but I guess you could say it was technically gifted to me a long time ago. Do you like it?” Itachi asked, smirking down at the blonde from overtop of the games he held. 

Naruto bit his tongue inside his mouth, blue eyes looking anywhere but at the raven. 

“I don’t dislike it,” he mumbled, finally leaving the game area after tucking two under his arm. He caught sight of a cool t-shirt with the logo for one of his favorite games on it, and decided to make his way over to the wrack. Sakura was on the other side of the store, a Kirby plushie held against her chest as she looked at some posters. “I don’t really get you, Itachi,” Naruto found himself saying, not even having the mind to think before the words spilled forth. 

“What is it you don’t get?” The raven asked, barely even sparing a glance at the t-shirts he obviously found uninteresting. 

“We met two days ago by me nearly running you over, and in these two days, I’ve ‘coincidentally’ managed to run into you again and again, everywhere I go. Besides the fact that you were somehow able to figure out I was an omega within two seconds of meeting -- something, by the way, no one has ever done before -- you’ve paid for my meal, and have been weirdly nice,” Naruto listed, hoping Itachi could see where he was coming from with his suspicions. 

“Is it wrong for me to just want to be nice to you?” Itachi quizzed, face eerily impassive. 

“No, It’s not wrong. It’s just… I don’t know, not really normal amongst strangers.” Naruto’s brows pressed together, his teeth chewing on his bottom lip as he looked for the shirt in his size. 

“Well, perhaps I just want to make sure you are happy and healthy, because I found something to be concerned with.” The vague response Itachi gave caused more questions than it really answered. “And as far as me being able to recognize you as an omega, well, perhaps my sense of smell is more suited to picking up on it than the average alpha that lives here.” 

“The ability to smell doesn’t change just because you live somewhere else, and ‘something to be concerned with?’ What about the two conversations we’ve had has made you think there is a problem you need to take care of? I’m not your little brother, Itachi, and you don’t know anything about me, or my life,” Naruto began to raise his voice a little out of frustration, taking a deep breath when he noticed he’d drawn some unwanted attention. 

“You know, in ancient times, and still so in some cultures, it was customary for the parents of an alpha to meet their child’s desired mate before courting could begin. The parents of the alpha would then offer, what you might call, the first gift, to signify their acceptance of their child’s choice, and allowance for the courtship process to start.” Itachi spewed the random fact out so casually, that it actually caught Naruto off guard.

There they were, talking about Itachi’s reasons for being so weird, and he blurts this out like he’s on air for a history program. Before Naruto could gather his thoughts enough to try and find a way to say something to that, Sakura interrupted. 

“Find anything good?” The pink haired girl asked, her arms full with the plushie, a couple of posters, and a single game. 

“Uh--” Naruto trailed, his eyes still locked with Itachi’s, as the raven smiled down at him. There was a strange look in Itachi’s face, one that unsettled Naruto, and once again set off those warning bells in his head. After what felt like an eternity, but was actually only a few seconds, the blonde was able to silence those warnings and focus on Sakura. “Sorry, yah, I found a couple,” Naruto replied, smiling brightly at his friend, before handing over what he’d picked up for her to examine. 

“Oh-- I heard these were pretty good!” The pink haired girl stated, excited at the idea of getting to play the games with Naruto. “What are you getting, Itachi?” Sakura asked sweetly as she handed the games back to the blonde. 

“Naruto helped me find a couple of games. I suspect I’m pretty hopeless at these things,” Itachi laughed, and looked down at the cases he held. 

“You ready to check out, Sakura-chan?” Naruto asked before the pink-haired girl had the chance to start what would be a year-long conversation with the raven, 

“If you are,” she nodded, doing a quick once over of the items in her arms, “yah, I’m good. If I spend any more money, I’ll have to live in my car,” she joked, because they both knew full well Naruto wouldn’t let that happen. 

“Alright, let’s go then,” Naruto said cheerfully, all but dragging his friend to the register in, what he dubbed, ‘desperate escape attempt: part two.’

“Wait, you didn’t even ask if Itachi was finished looking around,” Sakura began chastising, glancing behind herself to see if the alpha was following. 

The blonde closed his eyes, and took in a deep breath to help calm the anxious pit in his stomach. Dammit, this all had to be because his heat was so close, because even if he didn’t feel comfortable around the other man, he was never this rude. 

“You’re right,” Naruto began, halting his movements so he could face the Uchiha. He had to stop himself from letting out a curse, when he turned around and Itachi was literally right behind him. “Done?” Naruto asked, putting faux-kindness in the word -- it just had to be enough to appease Sakura, after all. 

Itachi gave him a calculating look, while the blonde mentally prepared his patience for some snide commentary. Instead, the corners of the raven’s lips cocked upwards, before he gave a curt nod. 

As they arrived at the counter, Naruto placed his items in front of a bored looking cashier. Sakura rested hers a safe distance away from his, so as not to allow their orders to be confused. Itachi, on the other hand, plopped his cases directly between theirs, eliminating the purposeful space that existed there. 

“All together,” Itachi stated, his finger pointing to the pile of stuff, and twirling a little so he was gesturing to all three orders. He pulled out his wallet, just like the night before, and plopped a wad of cash on the counter. The store clerk blanked, looking down at the cash, and then back up at the raven. 

“Sir… you realize the games aren’t encrusted with diamonds, right?” The man stated, that previously bored expression now contorted with confusion, and apalment. 

“I’m aware,” the raven retorted, glancing up at him through dangerously dark lashes as he fiddled with the wallet. 

“The total of everything here will come out to…” the young man made short work of scanning all of the barcodes, hitting a couple of keys on the computer, before pointing to the card reader. “138.73, and you gave me...” the cashier counted the cash, “$420,” he finished. 

“And he’s NOT paying for my stuff,” Naruto finally interjected, feeling as though his pride was on the line between this, and dinner last night. He used one arm to childishly sweep his stuff away from the rest of 

“I’m not sure I would feel too comfortable either--” Sakura trailed, a guilty look settling on her soft features. 

“Don’t worry, money is no object,” Itachi reassured, shaking his head when the cashier tried to hand him his change. 

The poor guy behind the counter looked like he didn’t know what to do with himself, holding the money out in front of his body like it might burn him, all while bagging the items with his free hand. 

“That’s not the point!” Naruto all but shouted, his shoulders squaring out of a natural reaction to stress -- how could the raven not understand something so simple? “Even if you had enough money to buy a mansion, Sakura and I are not your charity cases, not to mention it’s just inappropriate.” he growled, and if Uzumaki Naruto was berating someone on their inappropriate behavior -- the memory of him replacing Kiba’s water with vodka a few weeks ago coming to mind -- then they really needed to check themselves. 

“Inappropriate? How so?” Itachi asked, using Naruto’s distraction as an opportunity to nod his thanks to the clerk, grab the bag, and begin walking out of the store. It would seem it's true, that when you are having a conversation with someone, they’ll take anything you hand them. Itachi managed to get the blonde’s hand around the handle of the bag while he lectured him. 

“An alpha doting on two omegas? Paying for their meals? Buying them presents? You don’t think that will come off the wrong way?” Naruto was practically pleading with the raven now, trying to make him understand, even if only by a fraction, where he was coming from. 

“These aren’t gifts of courtship, those look much different,” the raven corrected, his eyes closed, while his head was tilted so his face could be warmed by the sun. 

As much as Naruto would have loved to keep up their argument until he won, a little squeak of discomfort behind him had his full attention turning to Sakura. 

“Are you alright?” He asked the girl, who was fiddling with the strap of one of her flats. 

“Yah, my feet just hurt, and you guys walk pretty fast,” she tried to laugh through her wincing, little pants leaving her lips. 

Naruto looked down at the foot she was coddling, taking note of some swelling there, and instantly felt guilty for not paying her enough attention. He turned around, and crouched before her, looking over his shoulder so he could talk. 

“Climb up,” he prompted the pink-haired girl, who gave him a grateful smile, before hopping up. Naruto let out a soft ‘oof’ from the force of Sakura literally jumping onto his back, but recovered quickly as he hoisted her up off the ground. 

Sakura giggled charmingly as Naruto started walking in the direction of their home. Every once in a while, he would put a little bounce in his step that would cause his friend to squeal playfully, and hold on tighter. 

The blonde passed by Itachi, who watched their interaction with a warm expression. 

“I’ve gotta get Sakura home, so we’re leaving now. In the future, if we do happen to run into each other again, just try to understand that just because you aren’t trying to ‘court’ us, or whatever, doesn’t mean that’s not how other people will see it. ‘Kay?” Naruto asked, way too tired to have a full scale argument on it anymore. 

Without even waiting for the Uchiha’s reply, he walked away, leaving the man standing there in the middle of the crowd. 

Sakura rested her chin on Naruto’s shoulder now, her giggles having died down by now. Instead of being the cheerful, if maybe slightly violent, omega the blonde knew her to be, she seemed rather depressed. 

“You alright, Sakura?” Naruto asked, shifting her weight when he felt his fingers beginning to lose their grip. She dutifully held on until he was in a position where he was sure she was secure enough that she wouldn’t fall off. 

“Huh?” She quizzed, her tone suggesting the blonde had just pulled her out of a daze. “Oh, mhm, I’m fine. I just… I don’t think Itachi likes me very much,” she admitted, her face hidden in Naruto’s shoulder. 

“What makes you say that? If you ask me, he likes us a bit too much for someone we just met,” Naruto groaned, the weight of the bag in his hand being a constant reminder of this. 

“He barely even spared me a glance today, like I was just an afterthought while he spent time with you. And when he paid for our stuff, it felt like he only paid for mine so he didn’t come off as rude. Do you think maybe he doesn’t like female omegas?” Sakura asked, her tone quiet, and rather downtrodden. 

“Trust me, that bastard doesn’t like me how you think he does. He’s constantly picking fights, and compares me to his little brother a lot, so unless he and little Sasuke-chan are--” Naruto didn’t get the chance to finish, Sakura slapping a hand over his mouth with an exasperated shout. 

“Naruto!” She gasped out, not wanting to hear the ending of his statement. 

The blonde laughed around the hand, shaking his head so the dainty appendage fell off. 

“Alright, I’m sorry, but that’s the point I’m trying to make here, y’know. You have a way better chance with him than I do, and even if he did like me like THAT, he and I are like oil and water. We’d probably murder each other before we even exchanged vows -- I have absolutely zero interest in him, or any other alpha for that matter,” Naruto finished. His gaze was settled on the ground, where he was trying to see how long he could kick a pebble down the street. 

“I know I’ve said this a lot, but I refuse to believe there isn’t a single alpha out there that will catch your interest,” Sakura stated, shaking her head at the thought of Naruto’s silly ‘forever alone’ promise.

“They’re all cocky bastards, who just want the bragging rights of saying they have an omega waiting at home. When it comes down to it, an alpha will never see us as anything more than a weaker species, whose only worth lies in having their kids,” Naruto refuted. He glared down at the rock, before kickin it as hard as he could with Sakura on his back. The little pebble clacked against the ground as it rolled sporadically along the path, until it veered right and got caught in the grass. 

“Aren’t you projecting the same kind of short-sightedness? You saying all alphas fit in the same stereotype of ‘sex-driven brutes’, is the same thing as them saying all omegas are weak. If you think it is unfair to be called weak because of your gender, don’t you think it is also unfair to call all alphas bad? In the end, none of us can help the gender we are born into,” Sakura pressed, her tone hopeful as she tried to teach the blonde a lesson. 

“I don’t care -- if I ever meet an alpha who doesn’t look at me like a monster when I kick their ass, or who doesn’t call me a freak when they find out I’m an omega, then maybe I’ll consider changing my views. Until something as impossible as that happens, I’ll happily stay out of the dating scene.” Naruto groaned when Sakura pinched his cheek, her slim fingers pulling on the skin rather roughly. 

“Itachi didn’t call you a freak,” the pink-haired girl pointed out, poking on the sore flesh she released. 

“Yes, because Itachi isn’t exactly what we’d call ‘sane,’ Shikamaru doesn’t even like him,” the blonde retorted quickly, moving his face away from his friend’s assault. 

“Shikamaru doesn’t like most people, it’s a miracle that he manages to keep HIMSELF sane, listening to people complain for a living.” Sakura giggled at her own words, both her and Naruto knowing all too well how many times Shikamaru complained about his job being “a drag.” At the end of the day, the only reason the man had become a psychiatrist was because of his personal interest in the human psyche. 

“Yah… I’ll admit, you’ve got a point there, but still, there is something, I don’t know, off? About Itachi. He talks like he keeps a thesaurus in his back pocket, has enough money to fill an ocean liner, has more pride than royalty, and knows how to pick a fight without even trying. Yet, he looks at posters in a video game store like a child seeing Santa for the first time, has zero understanding for what he shouldn’t say in social situations, and gets confused by otherwise normal things. He’s just weird, Sakura,” Naruto whined out the last sentence, his face scrunching up like a child who was told they had to eat their broccoli before they could have dessert. 

Sakura hummed thoughtfully, rubbing a soothing hand through Naruto’s hair. 

“Itachi aside, I just don’t want to see you live out your life with regret, Naru. Even if you weren’t born an omega, no one deserves to spend their entire life alone, and I know that’s not what your parents would have wanted either.” The pink-haired girl knew she hit a nerve by the way Naruto flinched away from her words. 

“Even if that’s true, I also know they wouldn’t want me giving up what I love, just to fit the social norms. Getting married, having a few kids, and spending the rest of my days letting someone else work for me to live, is not what I want for myself,” Naruto finished.

The rest of their walk home was carried out in complete silence, as Sakura knew when to stop pressing her friend. All the while Naruto was left with his thoughts, and confusions. 

How could anyone be okay with living out their lives so emptily, as most omegas did? 

He just couldn’t understand.

\----------------------

Naruto went through the bag after he got home, trying to source out his stuff, and separate it from Sakura’s. The pink-haired girl had already gone off to bed after taking some medicine for her aching foot, so he’d just set her things off to the side until tomorrow. 

The first thing he noticed was the two games he’d picked out for Itachi. The damned alpha had forgotten to take his things with him, even though he had been the one to pay for everything. 

“Idiot,” Naruto mumbled, shaking his head as he tossed the games onto the bed. 

Feeling as though there was an easier way to go about unpacking the items, Naruto grasped the bag by the bottom, and dumped it upside down. Everything fell out, except for Sakura’s plushie, which took a couple more shakes for it to drop out of the bag and onto the bed. 

A metal clink caught the blonde’s attention, prompting him to throw the empty bag to the side, and look down. He looked down, startled by the familiar bracelet, which had been carefully hidden under the Kirby plush. 

Naruto glanced right and left, as if he was about to be caught doing something he shouldn’t be, before settling his gaze on Itachi’s bracelet. He reached down, wrapping his fingers around the bands, and admired the softness of the leather. No wonder the raven looked like he’d forgotten he even wore the accessory, seeing as how it was so gentle against the skin that you could barely feel it. 

“Why did he leave this?” Naruto asked no one, using one hand to hold the bracelet up for inspection, while his other traced the crossing bands.

Blue eyes examined every inch of the leather, eventually falling on the pendant dangling from the last cord. It looked a lot like a fan, with the top, rounded half being red, while the bottom was white. On the black bracelet, these colors went together rather nicely, and made the pendant stand out even more. The ceramic-like material that made up the symbol looked as smooth as glass, and sparkled like it was brand new under the lighting. 

Unable to help himself, Naruto reached out to run his thumb over the pendant. The second his skin met the material, it felt like he’d been shocked. His vision was overcome with memories of red eyes, porcelain skin, and feathery, midnight-black hair. Immediately, the blonde dropped the bracelet onto the bed. His chest heaved with the rapid breaths he took. His heart pounded, and his eyes were impossibly wide. 

Somehow, it felt like he shouldn’t accept this gift -- like, if he did, he’d be accepting a lot more than a few video games, and a t-shirt. 

Naruto felt a crawling sensation on his skin, almost as if he were being watched, his eyes immediately falling on the window. He normally kept his curtains open until he went to sleep, but right now, he felt like he needed five sets to keep hidden from prying eyes. 

Rushing to the other side of the room, Naruto made short work of swinging the material closed. A shiver traced up his spine, as his loud panting echoed off the walls. He was overcome with hot flashes, not like his heat, but very similar to the dream he’d had the night before. It was almost painful, and made a whine bubble up from his throat. 

Swallowing hard, the blonde glared at the bracelet he’d tossed onto the bed. He marched over to the object, picked it up, and threw it in the bottom drawer of his dresser. There it could be forgotten, and maybe these weird sensations would disappear with it. 

Maybe.

Hopefully…


	4. Fall and Fester

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Naruto wakes up and feels off almost immediately. Sakura gives him strange news after sucker punching him in the gut, and both of them plan to spend a day at the beach together. An encounter with Neji though has Naruto meeting someone who obth intrigues him, and terrifies him. Itachi and Sasuke have a much needed conversation about Naruto.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm backkk. Sorry it took so long guys, long story short, I worked a lot of hours over the holidays, and could only update one book per week. Because I'd been working on another story for longer, it only seemed fitting that I continue to update that one. My hours have calmed down a bit though, and I am ready to get back into writing this story. Thank you for all of the amazing comments you guys left on the last chapter -- they always make me smile! I can't believe this book is already at 5k hits with only three chapters @.@ 
> 
> Anyways, lets get to it! Chapter four!

When Naruto woke up with the new day, he felt just as shitty as he usually did each morning. This time, though, that gross, dry, and heavy feeling was accompanied with that skin crawling sensation from the night before. He glanced up, just to make sure his curtains were still closed, and sighed grouchily when he saw they were. 

He stood up from the bed, and went about the same old routine as always, until he was staring at his more refreshed reflection in the bathroom mirror. Staring at his bathing suit clad body, Naruto began to wonder whether or not this was actually a good idea. It was the same morning routine of waking up, getting ready, and heading to the beach, but this time, he felt a niggling in the back of his mind. Something that was eating away at his consciousness, and telling him to just crawl back into bed and forget about practice today. It wasn’t necessarily a feeling of danger, though it did make him feel a bit of fear. Rather than feeling like he was in danger by going to the beach today, it felt like something would be waiting there...

Pushing back the nerves threatening to take away his sanity, Naruto shook his head, slapped his cheeks between his palms, and pulled a blue t-shirt over his head. After leaving the bathroom, he grabbed his bag from his desk chair, and swung it onto his shoulder. He was about to walk out of the room when his eyes caught sight of his partially open dresser. The bottom drawer was stopped from completely closing by a piece of clothing, and he could have sworn he’d closed it all the way the night before. 

The blonde’s eyebrows scrunched together, and he glanced around himself to check and see if anything else was amiss in his room. Biting his bottom lip, Naruto threw his bag onto his sloppily made bed, and walked up to the dresser. A grunt fell from his lips when one of his knees popped as he crouched before the wooden structure; he would have to stretch good before he got in the water today.

Tanned hands smoothed over the cool surface of the bottom drawer, noting some scratches here and there from years of use. When his fingers hit the edge of the handle, he inhaled deeply, as if preparing himself for something to jump out at him. He let the air in his chest out, finally managing to build up the courage to pull the drawer open. His skin felt like it had fizzy soda poured over it, the tingling, crawling sensation raging full force now. Goosebumps rose up on his flesh that had once been perfectly smooth, the air around him feeling uncomfortably frigid. 

His first glimpse inside the dresser revealed nothing too unusual, and he couldn’t pick up any other scent aside from his own. The clothes -- which he always refused to fold because he knew they’d just get messed up again when he went rummaging for an outfit -- were tangled together in a mess of orange, blue, black, and white. He dug all the way to the bottom, searching for the object he’d tossed in the night before. When he felt the cool leather of the bracelet, he let out a subconscious sigh of relief. It didn’t appear like anyone had been going through his stuff, so maybe he just hadn’t realized the drawer wasn’t completely closed last night. Based on his exhaustion after returning home from his excursion with Sakura and stupid Itachi, it was completely within the realm of possibility that he was simply remembering things wrong. 

Rolling his eyes, Naruto let out a nervous chuckle at his own stupidity. He was about to close the drawer back over, but hesitated as he looked down at the bracelet that now rested atop his clothing. He should definitely give it back to Itachi so he didn’t give off the wrong idea. 

The accessory was nice, and he definitely wouldn’t mind wearing it, but it didn’t change the fact that it wasn’t his to take. Mind made up, Naruto went to slip the bracelet around his wrist, only to realize it was a bit too big. If he was wiped out on the waves, he might end up losing it. Then, not only would he not be able to return it, but he would also have to explain himself. 

Naruto muttered under his breath about Itachi’s wrist being “fat enough to rival a hippo,” as he unclipped the accessory from around his own arm. He crouched back down on the floor, one foot planted on the ground before him, and wrapped the bracelet around his ankle. The snap of the clip rang out in the room, letting him know the strap was secured.

He stood back up with a huff, shaking his ankle a little just to make sure it wasn’t going to come off. That should be good enough, and if it still managed to pop off in the water, well, then he’d just pay the Uchiha back or something. 

As Naruto looked down at the leather jewelry, and the way the pendant rested against his skin, he couldn’t help admiring it. The contrast of red and black against the tanned flesh of his ankle was rather nice, and the snug fit of the bands were mildly comforting. It was the same kind of feeling he got when he strapped his ankle to the connector chord on his board -- that sense of security he received in knowing he still had contact with the surface, should he fall off and be sent down into the depths. 

“Alright,” Naruto nodded down at the accessory, “I’m gonna wear you for today, but you’re going back to your creepy ass Uchiha later.” 

With renewed vigor, Naruto slammed the dresser drawer shut, this time making sure it was completely, and surely closed. He grabbed his bag back off of the bed, before heading out of his bedroom. 

On his way down the hall, the first thing he noticed was Sakura’s open door. The pink haired girl usually slept like the dead until the late morning hours if she didn’t have anything planned, so it was unusual for her to be awake. 

Upon glancing inside, Naruto noted that her room was empty, so he continued his trek down the hall, and into the kitchen area. 

Sakura stood with her back to the blonde, her hips swaying as she hummed along with whatever melody was playing through her headphones. Naruto waited for her to put down the knife she was using to cut up an avocado -- more for his own protection than hers -- before he poked her side. 

The pink-haired girl let out a squeal, while the blonde bustled with laughter. 

He should have known Sakura could still do damage, even without a knife in her hand, because her fist went flying right into Naruto’s stomach. His laughter immediately turned into a coughing fit, as he doubled over and clutched his aching abdomen. 

“Oh, Naruto, you’re awake,” she stated the obvious, completely ignoring the groans of pain escaping her friend. 

“You don’t say,” Naruto muttered back, his voice coming out strangled as he tried to straighten back up again. 

Sakura looked a bit sympathetic, ultimately resigning herself to patting the blonde’s back in a ‘there there’ fashion. 

“I’m sorry, Naru, you startled me and I--” Sakura paused, her brows crinkling a bit as she leaned in closer to her friend. 

Naruto leaned away, already having suffered a punch to the gut, and not ready to deal with getting head bunted or something on top of it. It was his turn to be confused when he heard the auditory puffs of air that told him Sakura was trying to pick up his scent. 

“What? Do I stink?” Naruto asked, lifting his shirt to his nose. He might’ve skipped out on a needed shower this morning, but he didn’t think it would be THAT obvious. 

“No, you don’t stink but...” Sakura trailed, leaning in again, this time a little closer.

“But what, Sakura?” The blonde omega quizzed, a tiny bit of frustration making its way into his words as he placed a palm against her forehead, and pushed her away. 

The pink-haired girl whined, swatting his hands away, before placing a finger against her chin. Naruto recognized, the second her hips cocked to the side, that this was her “hold on a minute, I’m thinking” face. 

“Have you started taking a new medication?” She asked, emerald eyes meeting Naruto’s own. 

Naruto arched a brow in her direction, sidestepping her on his way to the fridge. 

“No- I don’t take anything other than the Ovisteral to keep my heats consistent, same as you,” he replied half-heartedly, pulling out a couple of sports drinks from the fridge. He tucked the bottles safely into the front compartment of his backpack, along with an ice pack wrapped in a paper towel. 

“Your scent, Naru… It’s different. It’s why I didn’t recognize you sooner when you snuck up behind me,” Sakura explained, her tone just as confused as Naruto felt at this new information. 

It made sense though; normally, Sakura would have clonked him on the head, or something of that nature, for startling her. The fact that his friend gave him a sucker punch to the gut instead, meant he’d genuinely scared her. His scent had changed? 

“It’s still too far from my heat for my scent to change that much,” Naruto informed her, crossing his arms, and leaning back against the counter behind him. “And even if it did change for that reason, it wouldn’t change so much that you wouldn’t be able to recognize me.” 

“That’s why I asked if you were taking anything new; your scent, it's… I don’t know, it’s not bad, but it’s not normal either.” Sakura looked like she was trying to make a conscious effort not to worry her friend, even though she appeared rather worried herself. “Maybe you should go to--”

“Nope, don’t say the ‘D-word,’ Sakura,” Naruto cut her off abruptly, shaking his head in denial. He turned his back to her so he could rummage through the cupboards over the stove, looking to see if he had any granola left. 

“I know you hate going to the…” Sakura paused to clear her throat when Naruto shot a glare at her over his shoulder. “Going to get checked out,” she revised, “but an altered scent can be the first sign of an actual illness, or biological change. What if your body is rejecting the Ovisteral? We both know, even after years of taking a medication, that your hormones can cause a rejection at any time. And these rejections aren’t something to be taken lightly, Naruto,” Sakura warned. In the amount of time it took her to lecture him, her voice shifted from being concerned and gentle, to being more firm, and forceful. 

It was true; if an omega’s body rejected their hormone and heat regulation medications, a change in scent was the first sign. The complications that could arise could be anything from a heat arriving earlier, and harsher than it normally would, to a serious, hormonal imbalance health crisis. While dying from the rejection was rare, hospitalizations as a result of these complications weren't. 

Just another day in the joys of being an omega. 

“I’ll be fine -- I feel fine. If I start to feel sick, or notice anything weird, then I’ll let you know and you can take me to the hell hole they call a hospital. For all we know it could be nothing,” Naruto reasoned, finally managing to locate his granola, and comically fist bumping the air. 

“Yes, and for all we know it could be something,” Sakura sighed in resignation, knowing she had lost this fight, but she at least wanted to get in the last word. 

“By the way, what are you doing awake so early? You’d normally be asleep for another couple hours,” Naruto quizzed, changing the subject. He turned back around to face her, bag of granola in tow. The blonde was alternating his attention between taking up pinches of the crunchy treat -- tipping his head back, and holding his hand up over his mouth so he could drop them in like a child playing with his food -- and focusing on Sakura. 

“Oh!” The pink-haired girl exclaimed, suddenly remembering something she wanted to say. “I totally forgot, but I wanted to ask if maybe I could tag along with you today during your practice?”

Naruto’s brows rose on his forehead, the crunching sounds of his chewing slowing down a bit from shock. 

“You want to come with me? I can count on one hand the number of times you’ve ‘tagged along’ to the swell. You say the salt-water dries out your hair, and the sand gets all over your stuff.” Naruto voiced his confusion carefully, not wanting his friend to think that she COULDN’T come, but making it obvious that he wanted to know why. 

“You know I’ve been practicing my photography lately?” Sakura asked, waiting until Naruto nodded that he remembered before she continued. “Well, I kind of wanted to try my hand at getting some shots of the ocean, and maybe some of you for your next season debut. If I do it right, it might bring you some good publicity, and give you a shot at a sponsorship or two. Besides, the water is prettiest at dawn,” Sakura explained, a dreamy look crossing over her features when she thought of the morning sea. 

Naruto swallowed his mouthful of granola so he could give her a bright smile. 

“You’d really do that for me?” He asked, excited over the prospect of not having to commission Shikamaru to take crappy pictures on his iphone for his next season’s cover. 

“Of course I would. Besides, you’re helping me out as much as I’m helping you. You get debut photos, and I get more practice behind the lens,” She elaborated on their newly formed plan of partnership. 

“Can’t complain about a win-win,” the blonde agreed, “well, I’ll probably be leaving in about another ten minutes or so. If you wanna go, you should probably get your stuff together,” Naruto warned, zipping up his backpack completely after assuring it was packed up. 

Time to get this day started.

\----------------

“Why’d we come to this beach?” Sakura called over her shoulder as she held onto the handrail. The pink-haired girl leaned into the sea-breeze, staring over the stone wall that overlooked the sandy beach Naruto had driven them to. 

“I guess I just wanted a change of scenery,” Naruto laughed nervously while pulling his board out of the back of the truck. What he wouldn’t say was the distance of this beach -- roughly thirty minutes from their home -- made him hold hope he wouldn’t run into any… unsavory creatures. 

“All beaches look the same to me,” Sakura mumbled, but still closed her eyes and relished in the sounds and scents the ocean had to offer. 

Naruto’s lips curved into a smile, because of course no one but himself, and other professional surfers, would know each beach offered something different. Out of all the shores he chose to ride on, he completely scorned that many more. They may all look pretty much the same -- sand and water meeting in a pretty contrast of cream and azure -- but the waves and the ride granted by each was unique to the location. 

“You could also probably get some pretty good shots from up here; the view is pretty cool,” Naruto stated, walking up next to his friend so he could stare out at the open waters in the distance. 

“That’s true, I just hope I can get the camera to focus well enough. You’re pretty fast out there from what I remember, Naru.” Sakura nudged the blonde playfully in the side as she gave him the compliment. 

Although, physically speaking, surfing wasn’t a race, and one didn’t need to be fast when they rode, it still looked cool. Also, the faster you got off one wave and caught another, the more points you’d be able to gain. In that sense, a surfing competition was a race -- a race to see who could get the most points before time ran out. 

“Okay!” Sakura clapped her hands excitedly, before bouncing off a little ways back. She unzipped her camera from the safety pouch, and made short work of putting it together so she could turn it on. The device made a few electronic noises, preparing itself for the day ahead. “Smile--” she drew out after uncapping the lens. Naruto learned then that Sakura often stuck her tongue out when she took pictures, and couldn’t help smiling when he saw the cute display. 

“How sweet, two omegas spending a day at the beach together,” a mocking voice tore the two from their laughter. 

The second Naruto saw who the words had come from, he had to hold back a snarl of contempt. 

Neji Hyuga, the very person who tried to make every moment in competitions a living hell for the blonde. 

“What are you doing here, Hyuga?” Naruto asked with venom packing his every word. His lips subconsciously curled back into a snarl when the pungent alpha scent grew too close to him and Sakura. 

The pink-haired girl glared at Neji, but still slunk back a bit behind Naruto’s stronger, larger form. 

“It’s a beach, Uzumaki. I’m a surfer, so why wouldn’t I be at a beach?” Neji spoke to the blonde as if he were a child, and needed everything spoken slowly in order to understand. 

“There are nine million beaches nearby that are more than sufficient for you to practice at,” Sakura countered, backing up her friend who was about as stiff and defensive as a fighter before his match. 

“I come here all of the time; it’s not my fault you two decided to encroach on my turf.” Neji had this posh way of snarling with his voice rather than his face. The Hyuga prodigy was refined, and thought it was beneath him to display his aggression forthrightly. 

Naruto, however, wasn’t like this dog who had papers backing up his pedigree upbringing, and therefore had no qualms warning just how much damage he could do if the Hyuga messed with him. 

Neji slowly grew closer and closer, his wetsuit moving over the muscles he was obviously flexing to try and show his superior strength to the omega. 

Naruto could feel his chest beginning to rumble in a defensive growl, as he fought with himself to try and stamp out the instincts telling him to attack first. 

“So, what is the omega reject and his little pet doing on my beach?” Neji quizzed, now standing right in front of Naruto.

The blonde could feel the metal of the railing behind him begin to bend under the force of his clenched fists. He stood with his head high, staring directly into Neji’s lavender-colored eyes in an act of defiance. 

“You don’t own the beach,” Naruto stated, applauding himself for how calm he was able to keep his voice. 

“Is your nose broken too? My scent is all over it.” Neji tossed his head to the side, gesturing to the beach itself. 

Now that Naruto focused, he could pick up the faint trails of the alpha’s scent swirling in the breeze. You couldn’t claim public property though, so legally, Neji couldn’t force them to leave. It was typically just common courtesy to avoid areas where an alpha had placed their scent markers. Naruto had never been the courteous type though, so…

“This beach is the public property of the city, you can’t just place your stench on it and call it yours,” Naruto stated cockily, taking pride in the way Neji’s lip curled at the insult to his scent. 

When it came to people’s scents, the rule of thumb typically went with the classic “if you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say it at all” directive. Insulting someone’s scent was the same as calling them ugly, or worse, impotent, as sour scents were often associated with a lack of fertility. 

“Can’t you give it a rest today, Neji? We haven’t done anything wrong,” Sakura tried to reason, her gaze flickering back and forth between the heated glares of the competitors. 

“You know,” Neji’s glare morphed from that of disgust, to a coy smirk, his eyes shimmering dangerously. “You aren’t ugly, omega reject. If you acted more like your gender, then I might be inclined to pursue you.” 

Naruto was momentarily stunned by the bold words; so much so, that when Neji reached out to touch his face, he forgot all about the short railing behind him. With one quick jerk backwards, the blonde lost his balance and went soaring over the edge. 

Neji had won. Even if this hadn’t escalated into a fight, his ability to tease the blonde, and catch him off guard by taking advantage of his very nature to seek out an alpha’s acceptance… It was cruel when one thought about it. 

“Naruto!” Sakura cried out, trying to catch her friend before he could fall. Even if she managed to grab hold of the descending blonde’s ankle in time, it probably would’ve just sent them both over given Naruto was twice her size, but she still tried. Her fingers brushed the skin of Naruto’s leg, but they didn’t close fast enough. 

Even Neji, who had just been trying to mess with his competition, instinctually jumped forwards in an attempt at catching the omega. 

“Shit,” the alpha cursed when he also failed to grasp the blonde in enough time. His waist pressed painfully into the bars of the handrail, the force at which he’d shot forward almost causing him to fall over as well. 

Naruto clenched his eyes shut, bracing himself for the impact of the ground below. Even if it was covered in sand, that didn’t mean falling twenty-plus feet would feel good. If he was lucky, he wouldn’t sustain any major damage, if he was unlucky, he’d land on his neck and it’d be lights out. The seconds felt like hours as he waited to see -- or not see -- the verdict of his fate. His stomach had exploded with the same butterflies one got when they went down that first hill on a roller coaster. He was just waiting now, waiting for the harsh hit. 

But it never came…

Naruto was scared to open his eyes. Maybe he’d landed on his neck after all, and simply died so quickly he hadn’t even registered the impact itself. That had to be it, he was dead now. 

“Are you ever going to open your eyes, or were you planning on taking a nap?” A sarcastic, yet gently purring voice quizzed. 

Naruto’s eyes popped open so fast his vision swimmed with a wave of dizziness. When he managed to get it to focus, his gaze concentrated on the large hand and muscled arm gripping around his thighs. He trailed his eyes up to the impressively sturdy chest he was held against, and the soft curve of the man’s jaw. When his vision swept up to the face of the person who’d saved him from his plummet, his heart fluttered in his chest. 

The pale man had chin length tufts of soft-looking hair framing his sharp features, which were undeniably handsome in an almost otherworldly way. The image he created was intense, and didn’t feel normal, nor necessarily dangerous, but the warning was still there beneath it all. His eyes were like burnt cinders; pure black, but with a gleam of crimson that Naruto blamed on the bright glare of the sun, and his adrenaline muddled mind. Normal people didn’t have red eyes, after all. 

Naruto opened his mouth to try and say something -- anything -- but found he couldn’t form any words. 

The strangest thing of all, was that even if he could find himself lost in the mystery of the man’s awe-inspiring features, he didn’t have a scent to associate it with. Literally, he couldn’t smell anything on the one who caught him; it was like the pheromones were hidden under a mask. The situation was as frustrating as it was unnerving to not be able to smell the presence of another, especially when they were so close. 

“Adaro don’t fly,” the man stated, breaking the silence after several of Naruto’s failed attempts at doing so. 

The words made absolutely no sense in Naruto’s brain. Based on the slight accent curling around the man’s tongue, he guessed ‘Adaro’ might be a word for ‘people.’ 

“No shit,” Naruto replied sarcastically, his voice sounding rather breathy rather than firm like he wanted it to. 

The blonde blinked up at the male, who he sorta felt like he’d…

“I feel like I know you,” Naruto spoke his thoughts aloud, trying to sooth this gnawing in the back of his mind that told him he knew this stranger. 

Said stranger opened his mouth to say something else, but was cut off by the voice of a certain pink-haired omega. 

“Naruto, oh my god are you alright?!” Sakura shouted as she bounced down the last step on the flight of stairs that led from the parking area he’d fallen from, to the sandy beach below. She stopped short in her sprint, however, when she took sight of the black-haired male holding Naruto like the blonde was a bride on his honeymoon. “I uh… I thought-- who is this?” 

Naruto rolled his eyes as Sakura tried to keep herself focussed on which questions to ask first. He couldn’t really blame her for focusing on the stranger, who looked like he’d walked out of a sports illustrated magazine. The guy had just popped up out of nowhere, and magically managed to be there to catch Naruto before he ended up on the front page of the newspaper. 

‘Local surfing competitor, Uzumaki Naruto, falls from a parking lot and breaks neck,’ was not exactly the type of headline he wanted to make. 

“No clue,” Naruto stated honestly, and abruptly, squirming to try and get the stranger to release him, just as Neji came down the stairs. 

Great, now it's a whole damn party. 

Naruto accidentally elbowed the man in his side, causing him to hiss and drop Naruto to the ground. 

The blonde yelped when his ass sunk in the sand, and grunted at the soreness that began to spread up his spine. Sand coated him from head to toe, and even managed to mat itself up in his hair. All of this, and he hadn’t even spent a single second in the water -- judging from the aching of his body, he doubted he’d be getting in at all today.

“Naruto I--” Neji spoke up, and looked like he was about to say something that greatly pained him, but stopped short. 

“You’re an ass, Hyuga,” Naruto decided to finish for him, rubbing at one of his eyes, which was squinted shut from sand getting inside. 

Neji’s mouth closed quickly, his brows pinching together in a way that was uncharacteristic of the impassive brunette. 

Naruto scowled at the man, who had nearly killed him and didn’t even have anything to say about it. 

“Well, whatever, looks like you get your wish. Sakura and I will leave soon,” the blonde grumbled, trying to prepare himself to stand back up. 

Sakura threw a fiery glare over her shoulder at the other surfer, before she rushed over to help her friend in his efforts. She squatted down to Naruto, ruffling with his hair to try and shake some of the sand out. When she was about to grab the blonde’s bicep, and try her best to pull him up, she found herself nudged out of the way. 

The dark haired stranger from before made short work of Grabbing Naruto’s arm, and practically sent him sailing with the strength he exerted to yank the blue-eyed man up off the ground. 

It took Naruto a moment to steady himself, his head spinning from the sudden action. Thankfully, his savior kept his hand wrapped around the omega’s arm long enough for him to regain his footing. 

“Thanks?” The gratitude came out more like a question, with Naruto unable to decide whether or not to be pissed from the way he’d been tossed around, or grateful he was still in one piece. 

The man only grunted in acknowledgement, and otherwise remained quiet. His piercing eyes bore into Naruto, as if he were searching for something, or perhaps just making sure the blonde was, in fact, alright. 

Naruto shook his arm in the stranger’s grip, trying to smile politely. He was getting very strong Itachi vibes from this man, which frustrated him because he really wanted to believe his savior was cool, and not creepy. 

“I’m good, you can let go now,” Naruto reassured.

The stranger kept his eyes trained on the blonde for a moment longer, before nodding, and releasing his hold. 

Now that Naruto thought about it, it wasn’t just this man’s mannerisms that made him similar to Itachi, but it was also appearances. While the black hair on Itachi’s hair didn’t hold the same blue shine as the male before him, it was still a startlingly dark shade that was uncharacteristic in most people. It looked like liquid midnight, and was more than likely more of a genetic trait than an anomaly. His eyes were also very similar to Itachi’s in both color, and shape.The pupil appeared almost nonexistent in the sea of black, and gave off a predatory vibe. Even the pale, ivory tone of of his savior’s skin was just like Itachi’s 

Then, Naruto saw it. 

A familiar pendant hung on a necklace around Sasuke’s neck -- a red and white pendant, which matched the one on the bracelet wrapped around Naruto’s ankle perfectly. 

“Your an Uchiha,” Naruto stated plainly, subconsciously hiding his ankle behind the opposite leg. It wouldn’t do for this stranger to start asking questions, or get the wrong idea. 

The Uchiha glanced down at the movement, but if he saw the uchiha symbol on the leather band, he didn’t say anything about it. 

Naruto remembered Itachi saying something about having an alpha brother; surely this wasn’t…

“Sasuke? Uchiha Sasuke?” Naruto asked, hoping he was wrong, and this was all just a weird coincidence. 

The stranger’s eyes seemed to shine with interest, and obvious recognition as his name was uttered. 

“Yes,” he nodded, his head tilting curiously when Naruto took a short step backwards. 

This COULDN’T be a fucking coincidence. Too many of these, so called, ‘coincidences’ had happened by now when it involved the Uchihas, and Naruto couldn’t believe them to be just anymore. It was one thing to run into Itachi on the boardwalk, it was another thing to run into his little brother, thirty minutes away, right when he decided to take a nose dive off a stone wall.

He was being watched, and this realization sent a chill down his spine.

“We’re leaving, Sakura,” Naruto stated, his voice cracking a bit from the intense nerves that shot through him all at once. 

He was sure now. 

He knew with one-hundred percent certainty the Uchiha men were stalking him; but what did they want? Naruto wasn’t pretty, or even all that attractive when you considered the standards set for omegas. He scared most beta’s, and no alpha ever expressed minute interest in him. 

So why?

Naruto grabbed Sakura’s hand, and shoved past Neji, who had been watching everything with silent curiosity. 

He just wanted to practice -- to be ready for competitions when they came around next week. He did not sign up to become the interest of a creepy, overly polite older brother, and a silent, mysterious younger brother. And he damn sure didn’t sign up to become the object of attention for alphas, of all things. 

His head was practically vibrating with his thoughts and anxieties, and Naruto cursed the closeness of his heat for making him even more nervous than usual. He didn’t even notice the way Sakura struggled to keep up behind him, until a fist thonked over his head. 

“Uhg,” Naruto grunted and released the petite hand so he could rub at the forming lump on his skull. 

“I said slow down idiot! You’re going to end up dragging me across the sidewalk,” Sakura shouted through panted breaths. 

“‘M sorry, Sakura-chan,” Naruto grumbled, his gaze set on the heated concrete beneath his feet. 

The pink-haired girl sighed, her footsteps fading as she walked away. Naruto glanced up in alarm to see where his friend was going, not wanting her anywhere near the younger Uchiha. 

Instead of heading for the stairs though, Sakura picked up his board, which had still been leaning against the edge of the stone wall. 

“You can’t leave without this,” she smiled kindly as she dragged it back with her. 

Naruto gave a weak smile in return, bobbing his head lightly in agreeance. 

“Now, let’s go home and have a lazy day.” Sakura threw her fist up in the air like she was declaring victory in a battle. 

Naruto couldn’t help but feel himself relaxing from his friend’s lighthearted attitude. If she wasn’t worried -- the chronic worrier Sakura -- then he shouldn’t let it get to him too much either. 

Besides, even if he was being stalked, what were the chances it would lead to something bad. Most cases like this ended up with the alpha getting bored, and giving up. 

The Uchihas would eventually give up, he was sure of it.

\------------------

“Itachi!” Sasuke shouted out into the darkness, his feet dipping into the rocking swell of the current. His brother acted like the younger alpha couldn’t smell him; Itachi might’ve been blessed with many things, but scent masking was an ability that belonged to the younger alone.

“Sulking is unbecoming of you, Sasuke,” Itachi teased, stepping out of the dark shadow cast by the stone wall behind him, and onto the sandy shore. 

“I am not ‘sulking,’” Sasuke defended, his words highly accented as he was not quite adapted to human speech yet. 

“I saw what happened today.” Itachi sat down next to Sasuke in the sand, closing his eyes at the blissful feeling of the water on his dry skin. 

“You pressed him too hard -- kept too close. He believes we mean him harm,” Sasuke accused, flashing his brother his award winning glare. 

For all Naruto was known for the warmth of his smile, the young Uchiha was known for the chill of his gaze. 

“Perhaps,” Itachi nodded, but Sasuke could hear the ‘but’ coming on. “However, his time among the humans is coming to a swift end. He’s long since passed his coming of age, and his time here has done nothing but bare ill-will to his mental, and physical state. With how much time the omega spends in the water, had we not sensed him, another alpha in passing would have. Whilst this coast is guarded by the Uchiha, that alone keeps him safe.” 

Sasuke knew there was truth behind his brother’s words. In the water, omega’s were far and few between. Alphas outnumbered them ten-to-one, and betas outnumbered alphas five-to-one. It was safe to say the competition for the right to breed was at its highest. Out at sea, there were typically elaborate courting rituals that would mostly involve an alpha proving he was strong enough to not only sire good young, but also to protect his mate. On land, however… Well, human’s were much more difficult, and Naruto had been brought up as one. 

There was no scent of his sire coating his flesh, meaning the one who had given him life had either perished themselves, or left their offspring behind. Considering Naruto was a strong omega with blood that sung to his ancestry, there was little doubt in Sasuke’s mind that it was the former. An omega very rarely abandoned their children unless there was something seriously wrong with them, that would make it difficult for the pup to survive. Then it was up to Poseidon to take his child of the sea back. 

“He is half human, his mother, or his father? One was Sirena, or Adaro.” Sasuke tilted his head into the breeze, allowing it to cool his heated skin. Even with the sun gone, the dry air made his flesh itch and burn. His brother had always had a much greater tolerance for taking on his human appearance, but Sasuke couldn’t stand it. 

“It is unclear, though I believe his father was Adaro. His mother was female, and Sirena omegas tend to sire more females. His father had strong genes -- Naruto is a strong omega, with strong fertility, and an even stronger spirit -- an Adaro who was worthy of much honor.” Itachi muttered his condolences under his breath in the language of his people, hoping his words would reach Poseidon’s gates, and let the young omega’s father know his offspring would be well taken care of. 

Sasuke hummed his agreeance, eyes still trained on the horizon. 

“From which clan is he from? They will want to know their kin’s young has survived trial and tribulation. Naruto would be honored greatly for his strength, and he will be given his proper coming of age ceremony.” Sasuke mentally hoped it was not a clan they warred with often. Naruto did not look like a descendant of the Senju, but until he parted with his human lines and gave in to Poseidon’s call, his scales would not reveal his family. 

“I would have to ask him his father’s family name. Uzumaki is not a clan I recognize as ocean dwelling.” Itachi glanced down at the impassive face of his little brother, and recognized the look on his features as the same one the older male had when he came of age, and realized his desire to mate Shisui.

His situation with the omega Adaro in their clan had been different than Sasuke’s circumstances though. First, Shisui was already an Uchiha omega, meaning Itachi had the right to attempt courting. Normally, alphas had to have the consent of the leader of another clan to court their omegas. Without knowledge of what clan Naruto fell under, they were going about things as if the blonde were an Uchiha. 

The next, more obvious difference, lied in the fact that Naruto had no knowledge of his own ancestry. Because of this, any attempts at going about the courting rituals came off to the male as unsavory, and unusual. Itachi had been the one to complete the first part by giving Naruto the gift of his acceptance in the place of their deceased parents, but now all he could do was continue to watch over the omega; the rest was up to Sasuke. 

The last complication was the fact that Sasuke couldn’t spend as much time out of water as his brother. Itachi had been slowly getting Naruto used to his scent, and using his own pheromones to call to the omega’s dormant Adaro inside. He’d already smelt the change in the blonde’s scent, and seen how restless Naruto grew with each passing day. It wouldn’t do well though for Naruto to end up in the water, panic, and swim off to be caught by some rogue alpha. They held no care for an omega’s wishes, and only sought to breed, and build their own clan. Adaro and Sirena were social creatures, who needed a clan to stay stable and sane. Rogues were those who lost their clan, or were cast out. Their minds became twisted and warped until they only felt the lonely hole they desperately needed to fill. It was a sad existence. 

Naruto had unknowingly built a small clan of his own with his omega friend, Sakura. His protectiveness of the pink-haired girl was evident enough to prove their attachment. A clan could not survive upon omega’s alone though. This sort of clan lacked balance, and would only make Naruto more anxious as time went on, and he neared his transition. 

“He wears the bracelet you gave him,” Sasuke stated, a hint of approval in his tone. 

“Yes, well, it is a piece that connects to the water, and carries a scent of kin that will settle him. Aside from the fact that black leather so greatly suits him,” Itachi joked, nudging Sasuke with his shoulder. 

Sasuke gave the barest of smirks, and playfully shoved his brother in return. 

“Naruto carries an obvious distaste for all alphas, mainly because he only sees their human scent as representative of danger. Even so, his awareness that you and I are alphas makes him more hesitant to trust. His genetics as an Adaro also make him appear much larger than human omegas, which in turn causes him to feel self-conscious of his own gender.” Itachi began explaining the hurdles Sasuke would have to jump through with ease, but Sasuke only felt himself grow more frustrated with each word. 

“That is shit! Anyone could tell he is omega.” Sasuke cursed in his native tongue, his hands fisting in the sand beneath him. 

“Anyone amongst our people could. His scent is very enticing, and his features are softer than any alpha you’d see in the water. His eyes don’t have the sharp slant of an alpha, and his size to one of our kind would be considered lithe, and made for movement, not combat. Our omegas typically have muscle humans don’t in order to protect themselves and their young, but only our kin would be able to see how clearly omega he is. Up here, he rivals many human alpha, and though he proves his strength and superiority well, he still feels he is out of place.” Itachi explained, hoping to soothe the aggravation many unmated alphas of Sasuke’s age experienced. 

“He is superior to these two-legged scum, and he IS out of place. This is not where he belongs,” Sasuke countered, baring his sharp teeth in disgust. Though his human-passing incisors were smaller than his ocean form, they still presented a real challenge to any individual who might try to mess with him. 

“We are not above humans, Sasuke, we are simply different. We live by different rules, customs, and beliefs, but that does not make either race better than the other. Half of Naruto is with them, and though his Adaro blood is taking over his human blood, that does not mean he isn’t one of them. You need to understand that if you hope to understand him,” Itachi chastised, getting to his feet next to his brother. He had things he had to attend to, and Sasuke’s time on land was almost depleted. 

If Sasuke wanted Naruto, then he’d have to learn what it meant to be someone in the blonde’s world, not just the outsider looking in. 

The next step in the courtship ritual was about to begin, and not even Poseidon could tell them how this would turn out.


	5. Vote!

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> What do you guys want?

Okay, so this is a chapter to kinda see what you guys want. There is a LOT of information about Itachi and Sasuke’s world (the world of Adaro and Sirena). I’ve been trying to think of how to deliver all of this information to you guys in a way that it adds more sense to the story. I mentioned this in a comment, but for around 6 months or so before writing this story, I did a bunch of research on marine life, and watched several documentaries so I could incorporate it into the story as much as possible. 

Therefore, here is the option I’d like to give you guys! :3 

To deliver this information, I can either: 

A) create a whole chapter on its own, which will explain the Adaro world from mating, to biology, culture, etc. Basically, it’d be the ultimate world builder, which wouldn’t spoil any of the plot, but would help you to understand things quicker. 

Or 

B) I can slowly incorporate all of this information into the story over time. Obviously, there will be a lot of things Naruto will have to be taught, so with this option, you’d basically be getting the same info as the first option, just not all at once. It would kind of be like the end of chapter four, where Itachi and Sasuke are talking to each other. 

The choice is all up to you guys! Either a quick understanding, or a developed one. Comment below and let me know what you want! ^.^


	6. Truth in Insanity

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Naruto is resting in his home at night, going through the photos Sakura had taken at the beach. Something curious catches his eyes, prompting him to try and find answers; after falling asleep, Naruto has a night full of strange dreams that are painfully familiar, and wakes up in a terrifying predicament.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys! Once again I took a little minute to post, and I'm sorry about that! For those of you that comment, I will be spending tomorrow replying as the comments come in so that I don't get behind. Thank you so much for the votes you guys gave on the poll, and I think it's pretty obvious from the resulting comments that I will be incorporating the information into the story overtime. Because of this, I would like you guys to be mindful that this will be a trickle effect, meaning sometimes you'll get chunks of info like you did with Sasuke and Itachi's conversation, and other times you will get little things here and there. So make sure you guys pay attention, cause I occasionally like playing mind games :P 
> 
> Today's chapter is pretty large, so I hope you guys enjoy it. There is a lot of stuff going on, but the main purpose of this chapter is to really start building things up! Let me know what you think, and I'll reply to comments as fast as possible! 
> 
> Additionally, I am working on cover art for this story (which is why I haven't been posting more art lately), but if any of you want to take a shot at it, don't be shy! 
> 
> P.S. I can't believe this story already has so many hits and kudos, so I wanted to take a second to say thank you!

Naruto spun circles in his desk chair, his eyes staring down at mesmerizing blur the floor had become with the movement. A deep frown marred, what would normally be, a relaxed and happy expression. Despite his best efforts to enjoy his relaxation day with Sakura, so much was going through his mind at once that he had no idea how to filter it all. 

The blonde had always been a go-with-the-flow kind of person, who, because of his appearances, had never really had to deal with a situation like this before. The vast majority of the population couldn’t tell he was an omega, and those rare few that could were either his closest friends, or had no interest in one that looked like him. 

Stalking…

The word itself sounded ridiculous, and almost laugh-worthy in Naruto’s mind. He could fight and push all of that absurdity out, but even so, he was still left with this feeling inside. It was the kind of feeling which caused you to vibrate all over your body, and shiver from deep within your chest. A deep sense of violation would fill you up, while you began to dread what the future might have in store. On top of this, you could also pick up the barest hints of curiosity, wanting to uncover what hid behind a veil of mystery. 

There was no mistaking that there was something -- how would you phrase it? off, perhaps? -- about Itachi and Sasuke Uchiha. No matter how Naruto looked at it, there was a secret lurking behind the charcoal gazes of the Uchiha brothers, who could inspire fear as easily as they could inspire intrigue. 

‘Alpha’ came off of Itachi in a fiercely predatory melody, which sang both softly with gentle care, and dangerously in vicious warning. No one would be able to mistake who the true alpha male was in a situation that involved the eloquent raven, who had a way of speaking and acting that made you doubt whether you should run away, or come closer. Naruto didn’t personally have any attraction to the older male, but he could see why Sakura held such fascination for him. 

Then there was Sasuke… well, Naruto didn’t really know anything about the younger Uchiha yet. Just knowing Sasuke was Itachi’s little brother was enough to make the blonde have his guard up, even if he’d been given no reason to do so. However, judging from the short interaction Naruto had with the alpha, Sasuke seemed like the silent, broody type. His eyes held a look that warned one to exercise caution, though they appeared to simultaneously welcome Naruto. He was surely cocky, but the blonde felt this superior attitude could definitely be backed up with action. The two seconds he’d spent in the younger Uchiha’s arms had revealed a sturdy wall of shifting muscle, and just knowing Sasuke had been able to absorb the impact of his weight falling from so high… It was a little more than impressive, and made Naruto feel rather envious. 

Naruto sighed; what would one call this mix of emotions he was feeling? 

The desk chair slowly began coming to a stop after Naruto ceased to continue kicking himself in circles. The floor was still spinning as his brain tried to make the world look right again through the vortex-induced vertigo. This dizzying sensation had the blonde closing his eyes, and swaying in his seat until his phone buzzed and made them pop back open. 

Message 10:34 PM

Sakura: I know we didn’t have the chance to get a lot of pictures today, but I sent you the couple I took before Neji showed up. Even if they aren’t exactly good debut photos, I figured you might be able to do something with them. 

Naruto smiled down at the message, and quickly forwarded the photo file Sakura had sent him to his computer. 

Naru: Thanks! I can probably post them on my instagram. 

Sakura: Sounds great! But Naruto, try not to let today bother you too much, okay? I know you, so I know things tend to eat you up if you allow them to.

Naruto’s smile became more strained on his face; as usual, his friend was spot on. As much as he tried to stop thinking about all of the things bubbling up in his mind, they kept on creeping back in with a vengeance. 

Naru: Got it! Don’t worry so much, Sakura, or you’ll get wrinkles. What happened today is already as good as forgotten.

Sakura: Alright… goodnight. :3

Naruto: Night :)

Naruto threw his phone onto his bed, and spun his desk chair around so that he was now facing his computer screen. He clicked some random keys a couple of times to get it to wake up, stopping only when he heard the internal fan beginning to spin. 

The device made a noise when a message saying ‘you have 1 new notification,’ flashed on the screen. The blonde quickly typed in ‘1010,’ watching as the locked window faded away to his desktop. 

The new background he’d pasted on it held the image of one of his favorite RPG characters. The man was tall, with dark hair and a strong build that held up well as he overlooked a battlefield with his signature sword in the air. 

The blonde had practically grown up with the character, playing through the fictional man’s adventures from the time he was a kid, to when he grew up to be someone who commanded respect. 

Biting his lower lip in concentration, Naruto shook the distracting thoughts out of his head, and pulled his legs up in the chair with him so his knees were now pressing just under his chin. He didn’t care what anyone said, the position made him feel extremely comfortable. Honestly, the action could probably be attributed to his omega nature, which loved warm, tight spaces. Thinking about it like that though would only make him angry, so he’d prefer to say it was simply a cozy arrangement. 

Naruto clicked on the exclamation mark at the bottom of his computer screen, and waited patiently while the photos downloaded. A warning popped up on the screen just as they were finishing: ‘These files are from an external source, are you sure you would like them to be added on to this device?’

“Of course I’m sure, otherwise I wouldn’t have downloaded them to begin with,” Naruto grumbled. He clicked the ‘agree’ button, his fingers now tapping lightly on the edge of his computer as he grew a bit more impatient waiting. 

Subconsciously, his free hand had drifted down to fiddle with the leather-bound straps of his new anklet. Throughout the day, there had been points in time when the simple piece of jewelry had almost felt alive. It hummed against his skin at a frequency that whispered of safety, and comfort, so he felt rather anxious when he remembered he would have to give it back. 

But… did he really HAVE to? After all, it had been gifted to him, so wouldn’t it be more rude to try and return it? 

The blonde shook his head, the spiky tufts of his hair slapping his cheeks, and leaving behind a light sting -- it was about time for another haircut. 

Of course he had to give it back; he didn’t want the creepy ass alpha to get any ideas. Sure, it was a nice trinket -- one that made him feel comfy and warm on the inside -- but giving in to keeping it was the same thing as giving in to whatever the fuck Itachi wanted from him. He’d wear it for one more day… Just ONE more!

Naruto perked up from his scattered thoughts when the photo file finally opened on his screen. There were only four of them, but honestly, the blonde hadn’t even known Sakura had taken more than one. 

The first one he looked over was a simple display of the beach from the parking deck overhang. The waves rolling up on the shore were frothy and frozen in time, while the Clouds in the sky appeared to mirror them with their fluffy pattern. The sky itself was a beautiful ombre of orange and blue with the early morning glow, and the silhouettes of birds could be seen in the distance. 

It was a soothing picture, which promoted a strong feeling of nostalgia in Naruto. He’d practically grown up in the water, so this image was a perfect embodiment of his past, present, and future. 

With a soft smile on his face, Naruto clicked the next arrow. Laughter bubbled up from his throat, because most of the image was obscured by Sakura’s bubblegum-colored hair. It was obvious the wind had kicked it up, and caused it to drift in front of the lens as she was snapping the photo. Strangely, however, the sunrise-tinged coloration of the omega’s hair over the beige shore, and light-blue waters was nice, aesthetically speaking. It was like the type of random image you’d see on the front of a magazine that was mainly for promoting a tropical getaway. 

The next image was of Naruto, with his dopey smile, and chaotic hair that loved to dance around his head, and in front of his eyes. The blonde tendrils really were getting pretty long; soon, he’d even be able to tie it back. It wasn’t that he minded the look, but seeing his hair like that made him appear a lot more like… like his dad. 

If Naruto really thought back, and focused his mind on the memories of his parents, he swore he could feel his dad’s fingers stroking through his hair as he slept. The blonde was almost a perfect copy of Minato Namikaze -- a man Naruto still didn’t even know too much about. 

When he was little, Naruto would always try to weasel information about his parents out of Jiraiya, but the author would just give him a sad look, and shake his head. Over time, the young Naruto began to wonder if this was because his godfather was uncomfortable reliving the memories, or if it was because he only knew as much as Naruto did. Mystery shrouded his parents like a thick curtain, so the blonde grew up drawing conclusions of his own to fill the void. 

In his mind, his mother, Kushina Uzumaki, was a beautiful omega, who didn’t let her nature make anyone doubt her strength. Her fiery red hair was the embodiment of her flame-licked spirit, which would challenge anyone who dared to think she could be pushed around. Even so, she had the kindest smile, and the gentlest eyes, which always whispered the promise of love to her son and husband. 

Then there was his father, Minato Namikaze, whose sun-kissed hair and bright personality would make anyone’s heart flutter. He was an alpha of great virtue, with strength and skill, but also a kind heart that most of this gender lacked. There was not a thing he wouldn’t do for his family’s safety, and happiness. 

Even if these were just guesses Naruto had made based on the few pictures he had of his parents, they were real to him. He chose to believe he grew up a good man, with a mixture of both his parents in his smile. 

Naruto sighed, one of his hands drifting up to stroke the tips of his lengthening hair. Maybe he’d leave it long after all, it wasn’t as if the look didn’t suit him, and he could always cut it off again later if he decided he didn’t like it. He would just have to remember to tie it back well for competitions in the future. 

With that thought in mind, Naruto hummed and clicked to go to the next, and last picture. It was another of him, this time with his hair out of his face, and his head tossed to the side in a lazy gesture. The blonde fought the urge to roll his eyes at his own dorkiness, and honestly wondered how Sakura put up with him sometimes. 

Naruto ran his fingers over the mouse pad, trying to right click so he could save the final image. He didn’t realize one of his fingertips was minutely still pressed against the pad, causing the screen to zoom in rather than bring up the options menu. 

The blonde ‘tsked,’ lifting the offending finger off of the pad so he could fix the screen. He halted the action however, when something else caught his eye. Now that the picture was zoomed in, he could see the space between his tilted head and the edge of the image in more detail. Most of it was normal -- just the slightly pixelated curves of waves forming, and his own face -- but there was a fuzzy smudge behind him in the water that seemed out of place. 

Naruto squinted, trying to make out the lines of the blob. He wondered if it was just a malfunction of the camera itself, or maybe even just a buoy, but something in his gut told him that wasn’t the case. 

Biting his lower lip, Naruto saved the image, before opening up photoshop on his computer. He cropped the image to include only the small square where the smudge was located. He then set the resolution to 300 instead of 72, and began fiddling with the program to try and clean up the lines a bit. It was a messy job, but not too shabby for just over ten minutes of work. 

After fixing it as much as possible, Naruto pulled up another app on his computer, which was used to help fill in the pixel spaces with a digital guessing system. The program would guess the coloration of each fractional space, and place in more pixels of its own based off of these guidelines. The result, if the image wasn’t too messy, would be a much clearer representation of what was in the water. 

Naruto didn’t want to believe what his fears were telling him that blob just might be, however, if it did turn out to be that, then it would at least prove he wasn’t crazy. This picture might be the concrete proof he needed to speak with Shikamaru again in a way that was more scientific, and less “I have a creepy creepy stalker on land, and in the water.” 

The loading bar was moving way too slowly for his liking as it let him know the picture was still being processed. Naruto found himself drumming his fingers on his desk in the same manner that used to drive his teachers crazy back in school. Whenever they would bring it up and tell him to stop, he would always reply snarkily with “well at least I’m not clicking my pen anymore.” In the end though, he would just end up with chewed up pen caps from his efforts to stay still, or sitting in the chair outside the principal’s office. 

Doctor’s called this ADHD -- Naruto called it boredom. 

“Come on--” Naruto practically whined, leaning forwards in his seat as the loading bar neared completion. 

Suddenly, a loud noise caused the blonde to jump so far out of his skin that he fell out of his chair, and hit his head on the side of the desk. 

The slamming thunder of an approaching storm shook the entire apartment building, and was followed by a groaning shudder of wind. 

Naruto’s vision swam, a grunt leaving his mouth when nausea punished him for sitting back up. The power overhead flickered with the first pelt of rain splattering the windows, and everything was cast into the darkness of night. 

The only exception to this darkness was Naruto’s computer screen with half of its battery life still intact. It cast an eerie blue glow across his room, which soon turned green, letting the blonde know the photo had finished processing. 

Still trying to gather his senses, and shake off the nerves coiling in his chest like a pent up wire, Naruto listened to the sound of ocean waves crashing into the cliffs not too far away. The sound brought him back to the strange dream he’d had the other night, and made him feel even more uncomfortable in his own skin. 

It was just a stupid storm, but it made him feel all kinds of emotions he hadn’t been ready to face. Naruto wasn’t a strong, independent surfing competitor anymore, because in that moment, he was a frozen little kid again. He was that young boy staring ahead with wide, doe-like eyes as the thunder coincided with the knocking on his door. Behind it was the man who was there to tell him his parents had died. Behind it was every fear he had ever felt growing up, and every fear he still held. 

Naruto’s body shivered, the power-outage allowing the coldness of night to seep into his veins. 

He couldn’t open that door.

He couldn’t face that man. 

He couldn’t face his fears. 

“It’s just thunder,” the blonde told himself, even as he clung to the material of his pants like he would cling to his mother’s side as a toddler. He needed to keep telling himself this though until he truly believed that it was the thunder causing his door to rattle, and not his worst memories. 

“Just thunder…” 

On top of everything else, the light of Naruto’s laptop threatened to shroud him in complete darkness as the screen began to fall asleep. Ignoring the pounding of his still spinning head, Naruto practically dove up to touch the mousepad. 

Standing there on his knees, the screen brightened back up with one notification displayed in the center. 

‘Your file has finished processing, click to view.’ 

The blonde really didn’t know what the best thing to do was. On one hand, the image might give him the relief of distraction from his mind’s pestering. On the other hand, whatever the picture showed might also make him feel even more freaked out and panicky. 

With his finger shaking over the mouse pad, Naruto’s breaths came out sharp and ragged. 

To click or not to click. 

Shaking his head, Naruto removed his hand from the computer, deciding to wait until tomorrow when he felt he could process whatever it was he would -- or wouldn’t -- see. 

As if the universe agreed, the power chose that time to flicker back on, illuminating Naruto’s bedroom. His vision was momentarily angry at this turn of events, which caused a burning in the back of his eyes, but he was just thankful he didn’t feel so trapped anymore. In those brief moments, he had felt like a cornered animal, and wanted nothing more than to forget this ever happened. 

Plugging in his earbuds to his phone, Naruto decided to lay on his bed and drown out the rest of the storm until it passed. 

Sleep wouldn’t come easy tonight. 

\-----------------

This feeling… 

Naruto knew what it was, but he couldn’t quite place a name to it. 

“Where am I?” Naruto called out, but his voice never actually fell upon his deaf ears. 

Warm light flooded behind his lids, casting his vision into a red glow. The rhythm of his breathing was slow, and smooth, and his heart matched it in its steady thumps. 

“Naruto!” A female voice called out to him. 

It was familiar -- almost painfully so. A soft and melodic voice, that was loud, but kind and sweet. It was a voice that gave him a feeling of melancholy, mixed with that of warmth and comfort. So many memories, thoughts, and emotions were piled into that simple calling of his name. 

Naruto’s eyelids fluttered open and closed against the blinding light, causing his lashes to tickle the peaks of his cheeks. His lips parted, and his nose began twitching as he picked up the scents of salt, and heat in the air. When Naruto was finally able to get his eyes to stay focused long enough to take in his surroundings, as he expected, he found himself standing on a beach. 

The sky was beautiful without a cloud in sight, and the grainy shore reflected the sun with a glimmering shine. With each gust of wind against his ocean mist-damp skin, Naruto felt a feeling of refreshment that caused a shiver of pleasure to make goosebumps rise up on his flesh. 

“I know this place,” Naruto spoke again. This time, although his voice still sounded quiet and distant, he could hear the words brushing past his eardrums. 

“Naruto!” The woman called to him again, and the blonde found his gaze shooting up from the sand under his feet, to the swell of the shoreline a short ways away. 

His eyesight was blurry as he struggled to make out any discernible features on the woman’s slim figure. He took a trudging step forward, his body wavering under the pressure of gravity, causing his vision to skew for a minute. 

Naruto placed a hand on his forehead, before shaking his head to try and get the fog to stop clouding his mind. The second his hand came into his field of vision, the omega jerked backwards like he had been slapped across the face. The hand moved when he told it to, and he could feel the way it carded through the air around him, but it didn’t look like it belonged to him. 

It was so… small. 

His ears began ringing as his mind struggled trying to figure out what was going on. Everything felt so familiar, but foreign at the same time. Rather than it feeling like he was here now, it felt like had BEEN here before -- like there was a disconnection. 

“Hey!” That single word echoed a million times in his head, and made him flinch from the unexpected assault. 

“Huh?” Naruto quizzed dumbly, willing himself to stop staring at his hand to face the source of the voice in front of him. 

“Come on, sleepy head. Did you have a nice nap?” The woman asked him, taking his tiny hand in her own, larger one. 

Her skin was soft against his, and Naruto found himself reflexively squeezing it like a lifeline. 

“Who are you?” Naruto forced the words out, but they seemed to never reach beyond what his own ears could just barely pick up. 

The woman led them closer to the water until the reaching waves lapped at his toes, and left behind new shells and foam in their wake. A smile of joy curved onto his lips, because no matter where he may go, this feeling would always be the most familiar. 

As the blonde stared down into his own, distorted reflection on the surface of the water, he could feel the woman bending down to squat next to him. Her hand left his so that she could wrap a securing arm around his shoulders, pulling him closer to her chest. 

Naruto leaned in while his chubby hands played with the water, that was now deep enough to lap at his waist. He splashed joyously in it, until the breeze caused long, fiery-red tendrils to flourish like ribbons in front of his face. He reached out a damp palm to grab onto the dancing vine, soon realizing it was a lock of hair. 

Naruto began tracing his eyes up the ruby stream, and up slim shoulders, and a thin neck, until his cerulean eyes met another blue pair. His vision blurred out once more, but this time, it was because of the tears streaming down his face. 

Smiling down at him was the face of a woman he would never forget, even if he couldn’t remember her all that well. 

“Mom,” Naruto sobbed, his hands trembling around the long hair he now clutched to his chest. 

Hearing her name, Kushina smiled down at her child even brighter, her fingers rising up from the water to stroke his plump cheek. The droplets from the ocean mixed with his tears so that you couldn’t even tell if he had been crying, or had just risen up from the waves. 

“Look at you, you’re getting so big, Naru.” Suddenly, that look of fondness on the redhead’s face began morphing into one of deep sadness. “I know how much you love the water, but you’ll stay here with Mommy, right? You’ll stay on land, because this is where Mommy belongs, so it must be where you belong too.” Her voice sounded pleading, as if she were trying to deny something that she didn’t want to believe. 

“I’ll stay,” Naruto agreed, but his voice sounded sad, and pained, even to his own ears. He should want nothing more than to stay with his mother, so why did it hurt so much to say it?

Then, it all clicked. The reason his body was so small, and the reason only he could hear his many questions. The reason why he had no control over his emotions, nor the way he spoke to her. 

“This is a memory,” Naruto concluded. 

Instantly the bright, smiling face of his mother disappeared from his sight when the ground beneath him gave out. Naruto was thrust into the water with a deafening splash, dark-blue emptiness now surrounding him like ice. 

Naruto flailed his arms around sporadically, while bubbles exploded past his lips. Underwater, everything seems so peaceful as the outsider looking in. Limbs moved in slow motion, while the sounds of the distant surface were completely blocked out and replaced with deafening silence. 

The reality as the one experiencing it could be much different.

Naruto struggled, trying to crawl his way back up to the surface. All of the air he had left had already evacuated his lungs, leaving him with a deep burning sensation in his chest. He could see the lights of the surface above changing. The sunlight was dimmer, and more white than gold, and as he finally managed to explode back out of the water, he realized he was somewhere else entirely. 

Naruto gripped the edges of the porcelain bathtub he sat in. The water wasn’t even up to his chest, but it was warm, and comforting. Looking around, he noticed steam drifting through the air, and clinging to a fogged up mirror in the bathroom. 

Naruto stood up, tripping over himself to get out of the tub. He paid no attention to the buckets of water he was spilling on the floor because of his lack of drying off. Instead, his focus was on getting to that mirror. Bone-chilling tile turned to fluffy carpet under his feet when he stepped onto the bath mat in front of the sink. Reaching the mirror was nearly impossible giving his short stature in the memory, but he managed it after jumping up on the counter. 

The edges of the sink bit into his folded legs as Naruto brought a hand up to swipe across the mirror. Large blue eyes and a pudgy face greeted him like a childhood friend. He knew the face was his own, though it was hard for his brain to catch up to the fact that he was a child. He didn’t have much time to linger on this realization though, because loud shouts began floating past his ears. 

Naruto’s head jerked in the direction of the bathroom door, and tilted curiously. 

Who was yelling?

He hopped down from the counter with a soft thump, cautiously making his way out of the bathroom and into the hall it connected to. The carpet under his feet was a bit faded from years of foot traffic, but comfy in its warmth. 

“I recognize this place…”

This used to be his childhood home before he went to stay with Jiraiya. It was the place where he was born, and the place where he spent the first years of his life. It was also the place where he received the news of their death. 

Naruto continued his trek down the long hall, following the sounds of the shouts that continuously got louder and louder. 

“I don’t care, Kushina! You knew this would happen the moment you decided to have my child! I gave you plenty of chances to back out, but this was your decision!” 

Someone was yelling at his mom, their voice obviously male and carrying all the way throughout the house. Naruto picked up the pace, and walked as fast as his short little legs would carry him. 

“He’s an omega, Minato! You said it yourself, omega’s are born on land, and may never get called back to the sea!” 

It was both of his parents. They were yelling at each other about something his mind couldn’t quite grasp. Naruto traced the hollers all the way to the living room where he crouched down behind one of the lounge chairs, watching the argument from a safe distance. He felt so small, but then again, in that moment he was. 

His father looked distraught, his hair a damp mess, and sticking to his head like he’d just gotten out of the shower without drying off. His clothes were messily crumpled over his fit frame, and his arms were flailing about as he yelled at Kushina. 

His mother, on the other hand, had tears flowing freely down her face with one hand fisted over her chest like she was in pain. Her hair was pulled back in a drooping, messy ponytail as if she’d just finished a long day of housework. She stood in the middle of the room, watching her husband pace and yell. 

“Don’t twist my words!” Minato accused, pointing a finger at the redheaded omega. “I told you of the fate of omegas who don’t get called back -- the ones who are rejected by their own home. They DIE. If Naruto stays here, he will die.” Minato’s words came out sounding choked the second time he said the word “die.” 

Was he dying? 

Was there something wrong with him?

Why were his parents shouting about him dying? 

Now that his name had been thrown into the mix, Naruto knew his parents weren’t just having an argument, but were having an argument about him. 

Had he done something wrong?

“What you are asking of me is impossible! You are asking me to give up my CHILD -- my blood!” Kushina countered, her voice sounding like how you might imagine the wailing woman to sound in horror stories. It was shrill, and pained, with so much sorrow backed in every word. 

Naruto had to resist the urge to go and comfort his mother, his instincts telling him the omega was wounded, and he needed to help. He stamped the thought down only by telling himself he had to stay hidden. Something told him he’d be in big trouble if mommy and daddy found him out of the bathtub. 

Daddy had put him in the tub to make him feel better after…

What exactly had happened? 

Is it what caused this argument?

“Is it better that you cling to him until he is nothing but dry sand, crumbling apart in your hands?!” Minato held his hand out in front of him pointedly, before throwing it down to his side with an aggressive shake of his head. “Naruto could live a long, and healthy life; one where he isn’t choking on his every breath just to stay at your side.” 

I’m turning to sand? 

Why?

Naruto looked down at his arms clutching the cloth backing of the lounge chair. His flesh held what looked like a nast rash -- red, aching, and feverish to the touch. In some places, the ones that were still damp from the bath, the rash looked a bit better. In other places, his skin had cracked open, causing blood to seep out. 

Naruto let go of the seat instinctively. He couldn’t get blood on the furniture, or mommy and daddy would have to get it cleaned, and he might get in trouble. 

“How can you not see how much this will kill me?!” Kushina’s voice was pleading as she walked up to try and touch her husband's arm. Her crying grew worse the longer the argument was allowed to persist, her face now almost as red as her hair from the strain. 

“How can you put yourself before our son?!” Minato yelled, his arm jerking away from Kushina’s grip the second he felt her touch. He looked like he was on the verge of tears as well, but held them back because that was what alphas were supposed to do. It was obvious how much it pained him to not be able to help his wife, but he was doing what he could with what he had. 

Naruto bit back a whimper; he didn’t like that he was the reason his parents were so upset. 

Was he a bad son?

“You really think that is what I’m trying to do? Yes, it’s true that I can’t bear the thought of waiting by for the one time, every six months I’ll get to hold my baby in my arms,” Kushina crossed her arms over her chest like she was protectively holding a baby with all of her might. “But there is so much more to it than that and you know it! On land, Naruto is SAFE. There’s no rogues chasing after him, or alphas that will try to court him before he is ready. For god’s sake Minato, He’s so tiny right now that all it would take is one bite from some terrible creature to swallow him whole!” Kushina gestured at the air with each danger she listed, her hair falling from her ponytail, and flailing messily around her head. 

Where did daddy want to take him that there were monsters, and why would he have to go there? 

Naruto had to swallow the retort that he wasn’t tiny anymore because he was a big boy now. He wanted to brag about how his teacher had told him he’d grown a whole inch since the start of the school year, but it wasn’t the time. Besides, these monsters his mommy talked about sounded really big and scary, maybe even bigger than his daddy -- if that were possible. His daddy was the tallest. Taller than any of his friend’s daddies, and even taller than the principal! 

“You know I would protect our son with my LIFE!” Minato placed his hand aggressively on his chest, looking down at Kushina with betrayal. “He would return to you twice a year, just as I do, and I know it is not what you imagined, but it is what Naruto needs. The longer he stays here, the sicker he will get. His ‘asthma’ attacks, the glasses, the passing out from dehydration, and the rashes,” Minato counted out the list of ailments on his hand in front of Kushina’s face. “If you think all of that is bad, wait until he gets older. And when that day comes where his body finally gives up, and he suffocates, or his heart stops, what will you be left with?”

Like a dam breaking, his mother finally broke down into sobbing fits. Her head fell into her hands as she took a couple staggered steps backwards. 

Minato looked heartbroken seeing the woman he loves so upset, and let out a defeated sigh. Stepping forwards in pursuit, he took her in his arms and squeezed her tightly to his chest. 

“I love you, and Naruto will always love you, but please I’m begging you, Kushina.” Minato’s tone was desperate as he pulled back enough to take the woman’s face in his hands, wiping away her tears with the pads of his thumbs. “My love -- entrust our son to me. I will see him returned to you safely with the tide,” he reassured, finalizing the argument. 

“How long do I have with him?” Kushina sniffled, and clung to her husband's wrists as he stroked her cheeks.

“I think it would be best for us not to wait too mu--” Minato sighed around the words, bringing his head down so their foreheads were touching in an act of affection. “I will take you to see the elders of my clan tomorrow. They will help prepare you for what is to come. The trip should only take a day -- we’ll be back before Naruto’s bedtime -- and when we return, I think you should start saying your goodbyes.” 

As soon as the words were uttered, Kushina began sobbing anew, prompting Minato to hold her and whisper soft shushes into her ear. 

‘Don’t cry mommy!’ Naruto’s mind shouted. 

He stood up from behind the couch and began running towards his parents. 

“I’m right here, and I’m all better now! I’m not going anywhere!” He screamed out loud this time. 

Something wasn’t right though, he was running, and shouting, but they didn’t look at him, and he wasn’t getting any closer. He was stuck in slow motion without any way to console his hurt parents.

Tears began falling from his own eyes, and he knew he would regret not reaching out to him. Something in him said when he woke in the morning, he’d never see them again. 

It would be like any other day. 

The nanny would come and bring him breakfast in the morning -- something super unhealthy -- and whisper down at him not to tell his mom and dad. He’d go to school, and go outside to play with his friends afterwards. When he got so tired of riding his bike to the beach and back, he’d come inside to watch tv and eat dinner. 

Eventually, it would grow too late for his nanny -- a college student -- to stay and wait for his parents. She’d call Jiraiya to let him know, tuck Naruto in on the couch, and wish him sweet dreams with her kind smile. 

He’d wait, and wait, and wait for mommy and daddy to come home. They always had to give him their own goodnight kisses before he could actually fall asleep. He’d wait long enough to watch both Tarzan AND Toy Story, but would eventually begin nodding off. The next time he woke up would be to that scary man knocking on his door to tell him he was now alone in the world. 

Mommy and Daddy aren’t coming home… not anymore. 

Naruto’s eyes flew open, his throat feeling scratchy and dry like he’d been crying. One touch to his sleep-swollen cheeks revealed that he had, in fact, been crying. His dreams -- memories -- quickly began to fade back into his mind where he’d shoved them down for good. Soon, he wouldn’t remember anything aside from the fact that he didn’t sleep well because of a nightmare. 

Naruto rubbed at his aching head with one hand, while the other fell to his bed so he could push himself up onto a sitting position. Only… his hand didn’t land on the soft, plush quilting of his comforter; it fell into something wet, cold, and soggy. 

Gasping, Naruto shot up, his brain now registering that he also hadn't been staring up at the ceiling of his room, but at a big, dark sky full of stars. 

He looked around, surveying his current environment with a look of panic. 

“What the hell?” His words were breathy and disbelieving, because instead of being at home in his bed, he’d woken up on the beach. This particular shore was miles away from his home, and his car was nowhere in sight. 

How long had he been walking to get here, and since when was he a sleep walker?

Hissing at a sudden, stinging pain shooting through his feet, Naruto looked down to see them chafed and bloody. His hands shook when he reached out to them, but stopped when the thought of touching the torn flesh made his stomach lurch. 

“What’s happening to me?!” He yelled out in the direction of the ocean, as if accusing it of causing him all of this pain and worry. 

“It’s referred to as ‘the calling,’” a gentle, male voice instructed. 

Naruto turned a tear-stained face towards where the voice had resonated from, and felt his heart sink into his stomach. He instantly began shuffling backwards on his hands and feet, his ass dragging in the sand beneath him. He only stopped when the salt and sand sinking into his wounded souls made him let out a yelp of distress. 

This couldn’t be happening. 

This wasn’t happening. 

“Every bad thing that has happened to me lately… none of it happened until you two showed up,” Naruto accused, before gathering enough courage to glare up at the looming form of Sasuke Uchiha. 

“I know,” Sasuke stepped forwards like he was trying to comfort the blonde, but stopped short when Naruto tensed in a way that said he was ready to run. The black-haired male sighed, bringing one hand up to massage the bridge of his nose. “Look, I know how easy it is to assume that Itachi and myself are the reason all of this is happening, but I assure you, we do not seek to harm you.” 

“Then go away!” Naruto shouted, before tossing a fistful of sand in Sasuke’s direction. 

The Uchiha hissed, and instantly threw up his arms to protect his eyes. 

“If you don’t want to hurt me, then leave me alone, please!” Naruto spoke the word ‘please’ with such desperation that it probably could have broken the heart of any alpha, omega, and even beta, for that matter. He wasn’t even aware of the massive amount of stress pheromones he was letting out into the air. Both of these things combined, however, had the barrest glimmer of distraught falling over Sasuke’s typically impassive features. 

“I know you don’t understand, and I’m trying really hard to explain myself here, but I can’t do that,” Sasuke spoke sternly, his back straightening as he regained his composure. 

“What do you WANT from me?! I have NOTHING! First, this thing starts chasing me around in the water, making me think I’m going crazy. Then, Itachi shows up and starts stalking me, and now you just happen to be everywhere at the perfect time. Just when I think I’m not crazy -- that maybe there really is something to the things I’ve been seeing, that I can’t explain -- I wake up on a damned beach in the middle of the night. This isn’t normal!” It was beginning to feel difficult for Naruto to breathe, and all of the shouting didn’t help matters. 

Hesitantly, Sasuke knelt down before the omega, whose legs were shaking to try and knock some of the sand out of his wounded feet. The alpha reached out so he could shift the blonde’s foot in order to get a better look at the damage there. 

At the first feeling of skin on his own, Naruto jerked back and practically snarled at the older male. “Don’t touch me!” 

“You’re injured,” Sasuke remarked, glancing up through thick lashes at Naruto. 

“I’ll live, it’s just a little scrape,” Naruto muttered, looking away when he once again was reminded of how attractive Sasuke was. In fact, if the Uchiha was so obviously a psycho with stalking tendencies, and was a beta instead of an alpha, Naruto might be inclined to pursue him. He knew so many things were wrong with that realization, but it wasn’t like anyone but himself would EVER know. 

“I could answer your questions, you know. If you would settle down and stop throwing blame around so easily, I could tell you why you’ve felt so ill lately, and why you woke up on this beach. Even if only minutely, I could set your mind at ease,” Sasuke offered gently, his hands falling back to his sides at the omega’s refusal of his touch. 

“Don’t bother. I don’t want to know anything about you, or Itachi, or whatever it is you two are doing to me. I just want it to stop,” Naruto growled, struggling to get his aching feet under him so he could begin the painful walk home. 

“It won’t stop, Naruto,” Sasuke warned, standing when the blonde did with an air of desperation in his voice. 

“Is that a threat?” Naruto quizzed, wobbling on his feet as he tried to lean away from the taller man. 

“No!” Sasuke growled, his anger rising by the minute. 

To Naruto, it appeared as though the Uchiha were struggling, but it didn’t matter to him. The creep could go rot in hell for all he cared, and take his equally as creepy brother with him. 

Sasuke sighed, running his fingers through his hair in a way that had Naruto, unfortunately, wondering if the blue-tinged, black tresses were as soft as they looked. 

“I’m not afraid of you,” Naruto suddenly stated out of nowhere, his back straightening as he faced the aggravated alpha with a look of confidence.

Sasuke blinked at him, his hand falling from his hair so he could eye the blonde with a look of curiosity. 

“I never intended for you to be…” The Uchiha looked down at the sand for a second, before bringing his gaze back up to meet Naruto’s. “Uzumaki Naruto, you are experiencing something called, by our kind, “the calling.” Omegas are almost always born on land, but most of them return home by the time they begin reaching their presentation. You should have come home a long time ago--” 

“Stop,” Naruto ordered weakly, turning his back to the alpha so he could begin walking home. He wasn’t going to stand around and wait for a crazy person to fill his head with more insanity. Sasuke, it seemed, wasn’t going to let him escape that easily though as he began following the blonde. 

“Your body has begun rejecting the land, which is why you are experiencing these strange dreams, breathing difficulties, and vision changes,” Sasuke continued, even as Naruto began walking faster. 

“Shut up!” Naruto shouted, wishing he could run but knowing that was impossible in his current state. 

“Pretty soon you will begin having skin problems as your body starts to dry out. If you keep going like this and do not listen to what Itachi has to say, your heart will stop,” the Uchiha continued to ignore the blonde, who was getting more and more worked up by the second. Something about these symptoms sounded so familiar to him, yet he couldn’t quite remember where he’d heard them from before. 

“Just shut up and leave me alone!” Naruto hollered, turning quickly on his heel so he was glaring up angrily at Sasuke. 

“You will die, Naruto. If you don’t trust me, then you will reach a point where Itachi and I can no longer help you, and you will die.” Sasuke finished, his gaze sharp and scolding with the way he regarded the omega. 

Naruto’s eyes widened a fraction when the memory of a male voice whispered in the back of his mind. 

‘If Naruto stays here, he will die.’

Whose voice was that, and did their words show Sasuke had some merit? Was there really something wrong with him?

Pushing the memory back down, Naruto shook his head and returned his face back to the one of anger he held second prior. 

“You’re fucking insane, and you can go to hell,” Naruto muttered tiredly, turning to continue on his path home once more. 

This time, Sasuke didn’t follow. 

\------------------------

Naruto didn’t get anymore sleep that night, too afraid that closing his eyes would mean waking up again in a place that was not his bed. 

He stared blankly at the sunlight glowing on his ceiling, and sighed. In less than a week, how could his happy, goal-oriented life become so messed up? He had questions he wanted answers to, and stalkers spewing madness. It didn’t help matters that a part of him wanted to believe the things Sasuke told him last night. 

‘The calling…’

Even that term sounded so familiar, but his strong willed brain refused to allow him to acknowledge it. Things like this just didn’t happen, and there was no such thing as a ‘calling’, or ‘land rejection’ or any other nonsense Sasuke might try to spew at him. Sure, he’d been having strange dreams, and last night’s incident was anything but normal, but that didn’t mean he was about to go believe in fairy tales. 

He only had a few days left until competitions, and he’d be damned if he was going to let this thing cause him to lose his focus. 

Naruto glanced over at his laptop still sitting, open, on his desk. The screen had fallen asleep a long time ago, but Naruto was still reminded of what was waiting for him when he woke it up. 

It took him a long minute of pondering before he tore himself up from the bed, throwing the covers off of his body. He sat in the chair and hurriedly woke the computer up, before typing in his password. The screen pulled up the “file finished processing” notification, which he quickly clicked on before he had a chance to chicken out again. 

When the image finished downloading, it pulled itself up on the screen. Naruto’s heart leapt into his throat, and he remained there, frozen, for a little while, just staring at the picture. 

He wasn’t crazy, and this proved it. However, it also might prove that there could be some truth behind the nonsense Sasuke had been rambling last night. Either way, he didn’t like the way things were trending. 

Biting his lip, Naruto hurriedly printed out the picture, stuck it in a manila envelope, packed a bag, and rushed out of the house. 

It was time to go see a certain professor.


	7. Trying to Understand

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Naruto goes to visit a certain professor in order to gain input on his current situation, and perhaps someone who will believe him. After arriving home from his meeting, Naruto sees another pair of shoes at the front door that he knows can only belong to one person. A nighttime outing sees Naruto running into more complications, as well as a smug alpha whose nose he really wants to break, however, said alpha is more than willing to take care of him despite his bad attitude. Sasuke and Itachi attend a meeting with their clan leader regarding Naruto, where some disturbing things are brought up. Naruto does some research, and comes up with an alarming theory that might cause more problems than one.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay! This chapter is GARGANTUOUS, I mean absolutely humongous haha. It took me a long time to compile and write, so I hope you guys enjoy it ^^ that being said, fair warning ahead of time. This chapter is an emotional roller coaster, where sometimes you will feel angry, sometimes sad, other times excited, and a few times you might even feel anxious. There is a lot about Adaro/Sirena society, as well as some dark history about omegas in human society as it relates to this fictional story. Be aware, and be warned. As things begin to pick up, we have excitement for what we know is coming, and more concerns about what we don't know yet, and poor Naruto T^T As usual, I will be by my phone to answer comments as often as possible between tonight and tomorrow, and wanted to thank you all for the amazing ones you've left so far! I am still working on the cover art for this story, but since writing takes up so much time, drawing kinda gets put on the back shelf. I can't believe this story is already at like 500 kudos, and almost 10000 hits. @0@ Thank you all so much for the support! Enjoy the chapter!

Naruto gazed up apprehensively at the marine science building at Coastal Peaks University, the manila envelope he brought from home clutched tightly to his chest. The way the thick paper crinkled helped to remind him why he was here, when he hadn’t visited this place in over a year. Not since he turned down what was, arguably, a great offer from a man who was like a second father to him. 

Uhg, what was he even doing here? 

Naruto shook his head in a horrible attempt at willing all of his cluttered thoughts and frustrations away. He looked up towards the sky, using one hand to block his face from the sun that was beating down heavily on his thin frame. It felt much hotter than usual today, but every time he pulled up his weather app, it told him it was only seventy-one degrees (approximately 22 degrees Celsius). That wasn’t just good weather, that was the PERFECT level of comfort for any length of outdoor activities. 

Naruto glared down at his phone, wholly convinced that the weather people needed to get their act together. It was at least eighty degrees (approximately 27 degrees Celsius) out here, and the sun was like a stinging little bee in the sky, threatening to make him boil. 

Sighing, Naruto lifted the collar of his shirt to wipe some of the sweat off of his face, and trained his sight back on the entrance of the building in front of him. He straightened his back, lifted his chin, and began walking towards it with enough faux confidence to make a grown man cry. 

He could do this, no problem. 

As soon as the first blast of the air conditioner hit Naruto in the face, his muscles relaxed and he let out the most contented sigh. His eyes fluttered closed, and he inhaled air that felt a little less heavy than the heat-laced stuff outside. Pressing his lips together, Naruto’s hand drifted into the front pocket of his cargo shorts, feeling for the inhaler he’d been carrying lately to be on the safe side. He knew he probably wouldn’t need it, that the other night was probably just a fluke, but it was comforting to have it just in case. 

The person tending to the front desk took notice of the blonde almost as soon as he rushed through the doors like his life depended on it. She was a short, busty blonde woman with her hair pulled back into a tight bun. Her pencil skirt strained against her thighs as she stood to catch Naruto’s attention with a wave of her hand. 

“Sir? I’m sorry, but are you in need of a directive?” She offered. 

Naruto looked up at the woman with a polite smile as he fought to catch his breath. 

“Oh, hey, ah no, I’m just here for a consultation with one of the professors who works in this building,” he waved his hand in refusal, jogging up to the front desk so he could collect his visitors' pass. 

The woman returned his smile with a small one of her own as she sat back down in her seat, and poised her fingers over the keyboard. “Alright, can I please get your full name?” 

“Of course, it’s Uzumaki N--”

“Naruto?” A familiar voice cut him off, and nearly made Naruto jump out of his skin. 

“Hey, Iruka,” the blonde turned to greet the professor -- his consultant. . 

The professor walked up to the omega, a bright smile making the wrinkles forming in his face more noticeable. The ponytail he always kept at the back of his head looked slightly disarrayed, probably from working on a project throughout the night. Despite the mixed feeling Naruto had felt before coming here, he couldn’t deny the fact that it was good to see the scientist again. 

“You haven’t visited the institute in so long I was starting to think I’d have to come hunt you down myself. How have you been?” Iruka quizzed, bringing the blonde in for a warm, one-armed hug due to his other arm holding a mountain of files and papers. 

When they pulled apart, the professor adjusted his files to lean them on his hip like he was holding a child, and brushed a lock of hair out of his face. Naruto realized Iruka was waiting for an answer to his question, and jolted back to reality. 

“Oh! Yah, I’m-- well, I’m doing alright. Competitions are coming up and I’ve been trying to practice,” Naruto glanced away, unable to look the man in the eye. 

“Trying? The Naruto I know doesn’t just try -- he does,” Iruka chuckled, placing a reassuring hand on the younger male’s shoulder. The smile fell off his face though when he noticed the strain in Naruto’s features. “What’s going on?” 

“Well, I was actually hoping you would be my consult on something today, but you’re on your way out and I’m sure you’re exhausted so--” Naruto gathered up the manila envelope, and snatched his phone off of the front desk’s counter. He was prepared to walk out of the building, but was stopped short by Iruka’s hand grabbing the collar of his shirt. 

“Ah ah, let’s go.” There was a hint of scolding in the way the professor spoke as he dragged Naruto towards the elevators. 

“Wait, I didn’t even get my visitors’ pass,” Naruto cried, desperately trying to keep up with the man who was basically pulling him along by his neck. 

“Oh please, those are just a formality and you know it since you practically GREW UP here.” Iruka tugged the blonde behind him into the small elevator, before he pressed the button for the fifth floor. 

The fifth floor in the marine science department was split between a couple different branches of oceanic biological studies, and happened to be where Iruka’s office was. Naruto could remember sitting in the back of the classroom after school when his parents first died. He’d listen to the professor give a lecture on the troves of undiscovered life that could exist in the ocean, while Naruto played with Marvin, a stuffed dolphin they kept on top of the filing cabinet. 

Iruka had always been so passionate about leading the advancements in new technologies that would allow us to see further into the ocean than ever before. It was his calling, and he never looked more happy than when he was standing before the next generation of scientists, sharing all of his knowledge. 

Naruto met Iruka for the first time on a field trip for school. His class was there to visit the aquariums on campus, which were used for the students at the university to study how marine life interacted and thrived in an ecosystem. For the young kids though, it was like getting a look into another world they never knew existed. He could still remember the way his eyes lit up as he watched a school of fish swirling around in a circle together. It was like they all were talking with one another to stay in perfect synch. 

In the reflection of blue water through a pane of thick glass, he saw the professor for the first time. Upon that initial glance, Iruka didn’t look like anything special, but it was the scientist’s warm smile, and familiar scent that drew him in. 

Iruka smelt like him, and although Naruto didn’t know what that meant at the time, he’d come to learn the truth later. 

Iruka was an omega, just like Naruto.

After his parents died, Naruto lost his smile for a long time. He didn’t want to play with his friends anymore, because he wouldn’t be riding his bike home afterwards. He didn’t want to go sit in the park alone, because then he’d start crying again. So instead, Naruto walked to the one place where he could remember being genuinely happy. 

Iruka had found him wandering the halls, and took Naruto’s little hand in his own. From that day onward, the young blonde would sit in the back of that classroom, and listen to the happiness in Iruka’s voice. He’d watch the way his chocolate-colored eyes would light up like gold with each smile, and little by little, he’d learn to mimic that smile himself. Overtime, a fake smile turned into a real one, and with it, fake happiness turned genuine. 

“I haven’t seen you looking this lost and upset since I found you all alone in the halls as a kid, does it have anything to do with this thing you want a consultation on?” Iruka quizzed, his eyes glancing down at the envelope in Naruto’s hands. 

The blonde looked up from the tiled floor he’d been staring at, his stomach fluttering when the elevator began carrying them upwards. 

“It’s kinda hard to explain… but I think, no, I KNOW there is something--” Naruto paused, and dug his fingers into the paper of the envelope. 

“Something?” Iruka pressed, stepping off the elevator when it reached the fifth floor. 

“Different,” Naruto finally picked out the right word, “in the water off shore lately.” 

“Well, there are lots of strange creatures in these waters, things that would probably seem very different, but I’m still not quite sure what you are trying to say,” the professor shook his head. 

Iruka’s office wasn’t that far from the elevators, so they arrived in front of the frosted glass doors fairly quickly. Iruka pulled his keys out of his front pocket, and scanned his identification card on the sensor. He entered the office first, and gestured for Naruto to take a seat in front of the large, oak desk in the center. 

“I studied under you for a short time, I know how strange things can get down there but this is...” Naruto shook his head, and sat where directed. 

“Different?” Iruka filled in for him, using the same terminology as the blonde. 

This was one of the secrets Naruto often tried to keep hidden from the people around him. Only Sakura knew he was the failure who dropped out of a renowned Marine program to become a surfer instead of a scientist. The last time he was in this office, Iruka was offering Naruto a full ride to continue studying under him, and work in the ocean robotics lab as an intern. 

It was an offer that anyone with two brain cells would have jumped at, but for Naruto it felt like too much. 

Surfing above the waves, he never had to wonder what was underneath, and something about learning that unnerved him. He’d always been close to the ocean, but whenever he thought about diving underneath, something warned him not to. It was like a block in his mind, that told him if he went in, he wouldn’t come back out. It didn’t feel like death, but it was consuming. 

It was like that dream he had where he stood atop a vast cliff; his mind told him jumping would save him, but rationality told him it would destroy him. 

In the end, Naruto had run away, and refused to keep pursuing something that made him feel so conflicted. He’d chalked the whole thing up as the universe’s way of telling him he wasn’t cut out to be a scientist, and locked those thoughts away. 

“I have a photo.” Naruto cleared his throat when his voice cracked from nerves, still refusing to look Iruka in the eye for more than five minutes. 

“Oh, well you could’ve led with that,” Iruka joked sarcastically. 

Naruto ignored the comment, opting instead for reaching into the envelope he’d placed on his lap. He stared at every detail of it as it slipped out of its packaging, and noticed his vision wavering in and out distortedly for a second. He really felt like shit today. Maybe Sakura was right; maybe it was about time he sucked it up and went to the doctor. 

“Are you going to let me look at this photo?” Iruka quizzed, his eyes searching Naruto’s face. 

The blonde inhaled deeply, realizing he’d been zoning out again while staring at the image in his grasp. Leaning forwards, Naruto placed the shiny paper on Iruka’s desk between them, gesturing for the professor to take a look. 

Iruka held eye contact with his former student a little longer, before clearing his throat and leaning forwards so he could carefully pick it up. 

Naruto watched and waited. His eyes focused intently on every expression Iruka was making, and he grew more and more irate when the professor gave no indication as to what his inner thoughts might be. 

“Well?” Naruto pressed as politely as he could muster. 

“Well...” Iruka’s eyebrows pinched together a tad as one hand came up to rub his upper lip thoughtfully. “Judging from the level of distortion in the image, I can tell it was cropped out of a larger photograph. From what I can make out, it looks like some sort of shark tail, but there are some abnormalities,” the professor nodded. 

“Abnormalities?” Naruto echoed, trying to lean in like he hadn’t already spent way too much time staring at the photo. 

Iruka looked back up and smiled. He placed the image on the desk once more, and turned it around so that it was now facing Naruto. 

“I know you’ve not studied with me for a while now, but surely you can tell me what sets this creature apart from typical shark features and behaviors. Look at this image, and dissect it piece by piece,” Iruka ordered, pointing down at the image. 

Naruto bit his lip, and leaned in hesitantly to look over the image. 

“It’s coloration is a bit off from the typical grey of most sharks, but that could just be lighting, or even just a gene mutation,” Naruto began, his eyes sweeping over the coal-like color of the tail. 

“Okay, good, what else?” Iruka pressed harder. 

Naruto looked up at the professor with clear annoyance, but Iruka only arched a brow, and folded his hands in front of himself. 

“I uh-- I don’t know. Judging from the placement of its pelvic fins, I can tell its body is more narrow, and elongated, meaning its size probably precedes that of most shark species in length, but not in width. This might account for swift maneuverability in the water, making it easier for it to catch its prey,” Naruto continued, his fingers now running over where the small pelvic fins were showing on the picture. 

Suddenly, with a jerk of his body, Naruto noticed what was probably the biggest problem with this whole image. 

“That’s not right,” Naruto stated, his brow furrowing confusedly. 

“What’s not right?” Iruka led, his voice revealing he was pleased Naruto had finally gotten it. 

“Most fish have swim bladders that allow them to take in oxygen and release it in order to adjust their buoyancy. Sharks don’t have that though, so they rely on continuous forward movement to swim upwards or downwards.” It was something that would have been obvious to anyone who’d studied marine biology, but in his inner turmoil, Naruto had neglected to see what was staring him right in the face. 

“Continuous forward motion that makes it much easier to go up than to go down with resistance. There is one shark that shoots itself straight up out of the water,” the professor helped get the ball rolling further, his excitement growing as Naruto’s did. 

“A great white hunts with ambush methods, which might cause it to have a reentry like this where its tail is sticking up out of the water, but there is no splash. The water is almost completely undisturbed, meaning the creature in this picture was diving straight down without momentum. Sharks don’t move in motions like this, they move like airplanes!” Naruto shouted, jabbing the picture a couple of times with his index finger. 

“Exactly, for all it looks like a shark, it has a superior range of motions that come from the ability to adjust its buoyancy without the usage of continuous forward movement. A shark moves up or down at an angle, using its pectoral fins like the wings of an airplane to adjust itself. This is why when a shark comes up to inspect something close to the surface, they always move parallel to the top of the water. Without any sign of splashing or disturbance, this creature can flex its spine to dive directly downwards without struggle,” Iruka finished, throwing his hands up on the air as he leaned back into his seat. 

“It’s not a shark.” Naruto smiled brightly at his teacher, but the joy didn’t last long. “It’s not a shark, but I already knew that,” he mumbled, the smile falling off of his face. 

“What do you think it is? You seem to be more familiar with this creature than I am,” Iruka asked. He waited patiently for Naruto to gain the courage enough to say what he really wanted. 

“When I told you before…” the blonde fiddled with the hem of his shirt nervously. His vision was beginning to act out again, so he closed his eyes to try and ground himself. “I said before that I have been ‘trying’ to practice for comps, but there’s a reason I haven’t been able to as much as I want.” 

Images of the past few times Naruto had tried to go into the water flashed behind his closed eyelids. He remembers the almost human-like face, and red eyes that were probably a bit too large to belong to a person. He could sense the intelligence in them, and as much as he kept trying to tell himself he was seeing things, or that it was just dehydration, he couldn’t get that picture out of his head. Black scales glimmered with rainbow refractions of light in the presence of such a deep shade of midnight. Nostrils flared against the top of the waves, making it seem like the creature could breath as easily in the water as it could on land. 

It wasn’t human but… it was, in some ways, very similar to one.

A fairy tale like the one Sasuke was trying to tell him was what that creature had looked like. Parts of his memory were faded due to pure adrenaline, but he’d ever forget scarlet eyes, and the overwhelming scent of a creature that was not just an alpha of its kind, but clearly a deadly weapon. 

Naruto’s eyes drifted back open, his lips parting to let out a shuddered breath. 

“There’s been this -- I don’t want to call it an animal -- but this creature out in the water. I keep coming across it towards the end of my practices, like it’s lying in wait for me to be too exhausted to fight back. Not that I could, even if I wanted to,” Naruto laughed thickly, his throat feeling a little tight. “It’s not a shark, or a dolphin, and I don’t even really think it's a fish. It’s more intelligent than that to the point that it almost feels human, but much, much stronger. Whenever it’s close by, I smell it first, but then I can FEEL it. I feel its power in the way it moves the water, as if it could take on a tsunami and live to tell the tale. It’s…” Naruto connected his sky-colored eyes with the honey-tinged ones of the professor. He knew his face said it all, but for his own sake, he needed to be honest with himself for a second. “Terrifying.” 

“Naruto…” Iruka began, a note of warning in his tone. “What you are describing is-- well, you know I’m a scientist, and you also know I believe there is much out there that we have yet to discover but…” The professor sighed, his hands unfolding so he could scratch at his scalp. “This isn’t something that the scientific community likes to indulge,” he finally finished. 

“I know,” Naruto nodded his understanding, his words coming out solemnly, “I know but please, nobody else believes me and I just NEED someone to believe me.” 

“I believe--” the brunette trailed, his eyes flickering everywhere but in Naruto’s direction as he thought. “I believe you saw something that you can’t explain, and perhaps something that even I can’t explain. To make a discovery that seems outside the realm of possibility means to accept the solitude that comes with it, until you can find a way to prove it exists. I’ll tell you what I think, and give you the best advice I could probably ever grant in this situation.” 

Iruka stood up from his seat and walked to the large bookcase that stood in the corner of his office. His fingers delicately traced the spines of several books before he finally grabbed the one he was looking for. After a second of turning the cover over in his hand, he brushed off some dust and carried it over to where Naruto sat. 

“Fables and legends exist similarly all over the world, and oftentimes the people who wrote of these creatures of myth existed whole continents away from others, and wrote of the exact same phenomena.” Iruka took in the look of confusion on Naruto’s face, and decided to explain it a bit better. “What I’m saying is, before humans were traveling all over the world and sharing cultures, people who existed on opposite sides of the map were depicting fantastical creatures the EXACT same way. So, these are my words for you: legends exist because someone actually SAW something outside the scope of normality, which means there is some truth behind every myth. How you choose to separate facts from fables is up to you.” With his speech concluded, Iruka held the book out to Naruto. 

The blonde held the thick book, using one hand to trace the raised lettering on the cover. “Ocean Legends,” he read aloud, before looking back up at the looming form of the professor. 

“If you think you saw something that is outside of the scope of what we would consider mainstream science, then you might find something to get yourself started in here. I don’t want to encourage delusions, and I won’t risk my career on indulging fantasy, but I do believe that you saw something ‘different,’ as you put it,” Iruka smiled, ruffling Naruto’s blonde spikes for good measure. “There was a time when people thought illness was the devil until a long line of scientists invented the microscope, and later connected microorganisms to germ theory. Just because it seems insane, doesn’t mean it can’t be real.” 

Naruto nodded up at Iruka, his shoulders feeling less tense, and his body feeling lighter. It felt good, somehow, to be believed in even if his words weren’t necessarily believed. Even if he never proved anything, at least he could feel like he wasn’t as insane as he’d been trying to make himself believe. That raised up some uncomfortable things, however, that he still didn’t want to face.

What connection did the Uchiha brothers have to all of this? 

They were not innocent. Of that he was sure. 

\------------------

When Naruto entered his apartment, the first thing he noticed was that there were two pairs of shoes arranged by the front door. The white sneakers with a pink trim, he knew, were Sakura’s, since he was not only there when she’d bought them, but he’d seen her wear them on a daily basis. Next to those though, were a pair of brown and black sandals that could only belong to one person. 

Dropping his backpack to the floor with a thunk, Naruto hurriedly kicked his own black and orange sneakers off, and entered the home. He heard laughter emanating from somewhere a little ways away, and followed it into the kitchen where he saw Sakura having a conversation with a man he hadn’t seen in far too long. 

“Welcome home!” Sakura smiled at him, before picking up her mug off the counter so both the glass and her could get out of dodge. 

Naruto didn’t hesitate to wrap his arms around the white-haired author with a sound of surprised joy. “Why didn’t you tell me you were coming home?!” Naruto asked Jiraiya with a tone that was too happy to hold any true chiding in it. 

“Long time no see kid!” Jiraiya matched Naruto’s energy with an equally bright smile, and released his godson so he could ruffle blonde spikes. 

“How long are you in town for?” Naruto quizzed, feeling a little swell of hope inside that the author would be staying long enough for his competition in a few days. 

“Just for tonight. I was passing by town, and thought I would surprise you,” Jiraiya informed. 

It wasn’t a surprise, considering his godfather’s popularity and hectic lifestyle, that he wasn’t going to be able to stick around for more than that evening. Naruto had grown so accustomed to it, that rather than feeling too upset, he was excited to get the evening started. 

“Alright, then we’d better make this a damn good night!” Naruto declared. 

“I’m not going anywhere with you looking like that,” Sakura stated around the rim of her cup full of chamomile. 

Naruto looked down at his outfit, pulling on the front material of his t-shirt trying to find some kind of hole or stain that would make it unpresentable. “What’s wrong with what I’m wearing now?” The blonde quizzed when he saw nothing wrong with his typical outfit. 

“Well, for one, did you even go out on the water today, or do you just live in swim trunks?” Sakura countered with a question of her own. 

Jiraiya hummed thoughtfully with a hand on his chin as he too began looking Naruto’s form over. “He does actually, ever since he was a kid. He used to tell me he had to be ready to go swimming at any time.” The author chuckled a little at the fond memory.

Naruto crossed his arms defensively over his chest, a slight blush making its way onto his cheeks. “So what, they’re comfortable. Where do we plan on going anyways that’s oh-so-classy?” 

“I figured we could hit that old bar off Chiton avenue, the one I took you to when you turned twenty-one,” Jiraiya answered, leaning over to inspect the contents of Sakura’s cup. 

The pink haired girl jerked the tea away, flashing Jiraiya a look that said ‘get your own.’ “And you can’t go looking like a pool boy because one, I don’t go to bars with pool boys that look like they scored themselves a fake ID, and two, you might get lucky for once and hit it off with some hot stud over a bottle of whiskey,” Sakura proclaimed, ignoring the look of displeasure on Jiraiya’s face when she didn’t offer to make him some. 

“Okay, fine, I get it. I’ll run up and get changed,” Naruto conceded, heading for his bedroom. Just before he rounded the corner, he turned back to shoot his friend and godfather a warning look. “I know how you two get when you’re in the same room, just try not to break anything expensive, please.” 

Sakura and Jiraiya both looked at him with practically the exact same expression: the, ‘no promises’ look. Truthfully, Jiraiya and Sakura’s personalities were too similar for his liking. Not similar in the sense that they were mirrored, but similar in the sense of ‘opposites attract;’ platonically speaking, of course. While the pink-haired omega was undoubtedly more serious and strict, and Jiraiya was more fun times and chuckles, put them in the same room and you’d be surprised at how well they got on. They became the dynamic duo of destruction and bad ideas. 

Naruto huffed out a small laugh under his breath. This felt good -- it felt NORMAL. Screw all of that messed up shit about mythical water creatures, and the Uchiha brothers. This was… well, it was family, and for the first time this week, Naruto felt like he’d actually come home. 

Warmth, that’s what it felt like. 

Soon however, that heat filling his core froze over like a lake in the winter. Upon opening the door to his bedroom, it hit him with the force of a freight train. 

That scent. He recognized it all too well, and on land, the power of it had his legs trembling, and his knees threatening to give out under him. It was clinging all over the room to the point he couldn’t even recognize which areas had been contaminated. 

While the thick, briney smell of salt, musk, and smokey, burning beach wood shook him to his core, the thing that bothered him the most was what that scent being there meant. The thing had been in his ROOM. However possible it may be, the creature he’d been tormented by in the ocean was walking on land, and had covered his room with its stench. The scent of an alpha all over the property of an omega was dangerous and… claiming. It was telling Naruto it was still there, and that he couldn’t escape it even if the blonde wasn’t in the water. 

Naruto held his arm over his nose, desperately trying to block out the invasion of his sinuses enough to clear his mind. There was no mistaking the kind of pheromones dripping off every inch of his space, they were those meant for a proposition of courtship. Basically, it was as if the dick had walked up to him and said “hey, I’m big, strong, and have a nice knot that will sire you a bunch of chubby, healthy brats. Instead of bringing you flowers, or asking for your number, I’m going to mark your territory as mine for your protection from other alphas. When I manage to woo you with my awesomeness, we can run off into the sunset to build a new nest together.” 

They were fucking warding pheromones, meant to scare off any alpha male that had the nerve to walk into the omegas den. 

Normally, an alpha would take time to get an omega used to his scent before slowly beginning to mark some of the omega’s possessions with it. It was such a slow, gradual process, that the omega being courted didn’t even notice by the end of it that their alpha’s pheromones were coating their entire house. 

The way this alpha’s pheromones were all but leaking from his walls was aggressive, and entirely an act of possessiveness. To word things differently, it wasn’t just offering up its healthy genetics on a silver platter, but was all but telling the world they were intending to mate their omega soon. 

The scent mixed with Naruto’s biology dangerously and had him swaying on his feet. No amount of nature suppressing medication could alleviate the effects it had on his body. 

Shaking his head, the blonde tried to clear his vision up enough to search for something that might cancel the scent out. The first thing he did was open the damned window, allowing the breeze of dusk to slip into his room and began circulating the cloud of pheromones outside.

“Hey Naru! I’ve got something you can wear that I think will suit you!” A voice called out from down the hall. 

Naruto’s head snapped to his door where he could hear Sakura’s footsteps rapidly approaching. Still choking on alpha stench, he knew he had to at least cover this scent up with something else so his friend didn’t force him to go to the police station or something to file a report. That would really put a damper on their evening. 

Thinking on his feet, Naruto rushed to his junk drawer by his nightstand. Shoved in the back was a can of old spice spray Shikamaru had gifted him for his birthday last year. The scent wasn’t really his style, hence it was shoved in the back of a drawer he hardly opened, but he knew from the one time he did wear it that it was STRONG. 

Frantically, Naruto sprayed the entire room. By the time Sakura walked in, he was pretty sure half the can was emptied into the air, now causing him to choke on each breath for a different reason. 

When a Sakura’s head popped around the door frame, the reaction from her was instantaneous. 

There was a reason why most omegas didn’t particularly care for products like old spice, and that was because the overly-powerful scent often hurt their sinuses. Using chemical scent enhancers for attraction like perfume and cologne was more of a beta thing, while alphas and omegas relied on their natural aroma. Naruto couldn’t say he was particularly thrilled to be standing in the center of the old spice cloud, but at least it was masking something arguably worse. 

“Why does it smell like the ‘Men’s Masterpiece’ cologne shop down the road held a convention in your bedroom?” She grimaced, her head rearing back out of the doorway a bit from the assault to her senses. 

“Uh, the sprit-sy thing on top got stuck when I tried to freshen up my bed a bit,” Naruto lied, mocking the motion of spraying with his finger. 

Sakura cocked her head to the side, and placed her hands on her hips, warning Naruto of the oncoming lecture. “Oh come on, you don’t think you could just, I don’t know, wash your sheets for a change?” Sakura quizzed. 

Naruto made a face at that, almost forgetting he was in the middle of a lie. “I don’t like when my scent gets washed off my bed,” he complained, and that was the truth. Every time he washed his sheets, his own scent was washed off completely. At least when he sprayed it with lysol, or in this case, a half can of cologne, his scent still remained mixed in just underneath. His room was supposed to be his safe space, and his bed was his nest. It didn’t make sense for his sheets to suddenly smell more like lavender than himself. In this room, he could be the omega he was, and give in to some of the instincts he smashed down on a daily basis. 

Sakura sighed, giving him one last stern look before relenting to his puppy eyes. “Alright, whatever,” she waved it off, “I just wanted to show you this, I think it will look good on you in a Magaiver sort of way.” The pink-haired omega held up a stylistically-worn leather jacket. 

Naruto recognized it as being the gift Sakura had bought her ex-boyfriend for his birthday. She never got the chance to give it to him on account of finding him cheating on her with that Ino bitch she always complained about. He’d assumed Sakura threw it out, but she must have just shoved it in the back of her closet or something. 

“You spent a lot of money on that, you sure you want to let me wear it?” Naruto quizzed, stepping closer so he could look over the high-grade material the jacket was made of. He wouldn’t say leather was his style, but maybe tonight was the night for him to try on a new look for a change. 

“Well, It’s just collecting dust in my room. I can’t bring myself to throw or give it away because of how much I spent on it, but it’s also not my style nor size. Someone might as well wear it, even just once.” She smiled up at her friend, holding the coat out to him by its collar. 

Naruto searched her eyes for a moment to make sure she was certain, before grabbing it. “Thanks.” 

“Anything for my favorite lost cause,” she teased, running off as the blonde reached to playfully shove her. 

After putting together a full outfit, Naruto looked over himself in his bathroom mirror. He’d broken out his favorite black t-shirt that looked like it had orange paint splattered on it. Said splatters were placed perfectly to contour every dip and grove of his lean form, showing off his health. With the leather jacket over it, and pair of ass-hugging skinny jeans he hadn’t worn in what felt like a century, Naruto was rocking the classic-bad-boy-meets-contemporary look. Even if he had no intent on trying to attract someone, he had to admit, he looked good. 

A metallic jingling pulled him out of his attempts at grooming his blonde spikes, leading his gaze down to his ankle. Right… he still had that. It was beginning to feel so familiar to wear the damned thing that it would feel more strange not to have it at this point. 

Taking a deep breath, Naruto looked up at himself again in the mirror, his bright, blue eyes staring back at him. 

This was going to be a good night. It had to be because more than anything, for just one night, he wanted to forget. 

\---------------------

Naruto fidgeted in the booth seat across from Jiraiya and Sakura, his fingers digging into the sleeves of his borrowed jacket. He was trying his best not to mar the leather, but his skin burned and itched as if it was recovering from a very nasty sunburn. It didn’t help matters that his drunken state was making him feel rather disoriented. 

“Com’on Naru, ‘nother,” Sakura slurred as she pushed another shot glass of tequila in his direction. 

Naruto shook his head with a goofy smile plastered on his features. “No, I can’t drink ‘nymore,” the blonde refuted with a bit more cognition than the pink-haired girl. Even after his protest though, Naruto’s hand reached out for the offered drink like it had a mind of its own. . 

Jiraiya’s deep, booming laugh bubbled out at the display as he grabbed a lime out of a shallow dish in the center of the table, and handed it to his godson. “Still can’t hold your liquor well, I see,” the author chuckled out. 

“S’not true, I’m doing better than her,” Naruto stuck his tongue out at Sakura.

The smaller omega hummed, before licking salt off the back of her hand, downing the contents of the glass, and biting down on a lime. When she pulled the bitter, green fruit away from her lips, she gave her friend a cocky smirk. “At least ‘m not a quitter.”

Naruto glared, and quickly copied Sakura’s actions with his own drink. He knew the jab was intended to get him to do just that, but he rose to the challenge nonetheless. He grimaced at the bitter burn of the drink, and the aftertaste almost had tears forming in the corners of his eyes. 

“Yah, thi-sh brand kinda sucks,” Sakura commented on the tequila after catching Naruto’s disgusted look. She looked down judgmentally at the empty glass in her hand, then placed it back down on the table. 

“Sorry I’m not gonna make it to your competition later this week, kid, but consider tonight on me as an early celebration for your definite win.” Jiraiya tilted his own glass in a lazy ‘cheers,’before swallowing the contents with a grimace of his own. “Mhm, wow, that really isn’t good, is it?” 

Sakura giggled as she tried to wave down one of the servers. “I warned ya.” 

“How has your training been going?” Jiraiya quizzed, his gaze now focused on the alcohol-flushed face of Naruto. 

“You’d think, with all the beaches here, I’d be able to find somewhere I wouldn’t be ‘nterrupted,” Naruto grunted, the conversation topic making him sober up a bit. 

“Ooh yah! Neji’sh been a major jerk, ‘n Naru’s being chased by an evil fish,” Sakura ‘helped,’ pressing her curved fingers to her mouth to mimic fangs. 

“An evil fish?” Jiraiya quirked a brow in Naruto’s direction. 

Fortunately, the blonde was saved from answering by the server finally approaching their table to get their orders for their next round of drinks. 

Three whiskeys, a beer, and two apple ales later, Naruto was beginning to feel the world move around him. He’d been carrying on the playful banter with his best friend and godfather like a champ, and had almost been able to forget the insanity-inducing itch in his arms. He might’ve actually been successful in carrying on his night without it bothering him anymore if it weren’t for the fact that it was beginning to spread to his back. 

“Y’ alrigh-'' a hiccup briefly cut her off, “Naru? You look not so good,” Sakura asked him after she caught her breath from laughing at whatever Jiraiya had just said. 

The blonde nodded, trying to mutter “bathroom” but it probably came out as a jumbled mess. They must have got the memo though when he began swaying towards the flashing signs signaling where the restrooms were. 

“I think he has ta pee--” Sakura sang-sung to Jiraiaya behind his retreating form.

His vision blurring in and out in his fogged haze, Naruto felt anxiousness ripping through him as he tried to walk a straight line to the bathroom. If he wasn’t so good at feigning being sober while sitting with his little group, he probably would have been cut off by the barkeep a long time ago. Now that he was standing though, and attempting to walk, the full weight of his drunken state hit him hard. His confusion mixed with his fear from the sting gnawing at his arms and back, and resulted in something like a bad trip. 

Water. Something in him told him the itchy burn would go away if he just ran his skin under some cool water. 

Naruto burst through the door of the bathroom, ignoring the man who scuttled past him after startling at his aggressive entry. His dancing vision skimmed over the stalls, noting that he was now alone in the space. 

Nearly tripping and cracking his head on the edge of the sink, Naruto caught himself just in time. The porcelain felt cool on his heated skin, but he hardly had the time to enjoy it when he had something that would be undoubtedly more comforting against his flesh. 

Naruto hurriedly slipped the jacket off his shoulders, and reached out towards the faucet to turn on the water. It came out in a crisp, cool stream over his forearms, causing his eyes to drift closed in bliss. The sound that escaped him was basically a moan, and between being drunk, while also feeling that sweet water wash the pain away, Naruto couldn’t find it in himself to care. 

When the majority of the burn had receded, the blonde allowed his eyes to flutter back open. 

Breathe stopping in his throat, Naruto learned that he was no longer alone. Despite everything in his body telling him to keep his arms under the water, the blonde whipped around, aiming a fist for the face of the cocky fucker standing behind him

Sasuke reacted blindingly quickly, or perhaps it was just because Naruto was so drunk that his reaction time was slow. Either way, in what felt like a split second, Sasuke gripped the omega’s wrist in an unbreakable hold, and the punch stopped a hair's breadth away from smashing into the Uchiha’s nose. 

Against his wishes, a whine escaped Naruto’s lips from the display of superior strength he remembered so well from his free dive off the parking deck. He’d packed all of his power into that punch, and yet it took almost no effort for Sasuke to stop it. Naruto covered up the embarrassing sound quickly with a snarl, and glared at Sasuke through the mirror when the alpha twisted him back around to face the sink. 

“Be still,” Sasuke ordered with painful tenderness, rubbing the pad of his thumb against the pulse point in Naruto’s wrist.

Naruto’s eyes widened as they stared into Sasuke’s, trying to seek out what motive the older male might have behind soft words and caresses. 

The Uchiha held his gaze a moment longer, as if he too were trying to search for something in Naruto’s sea-blue eyes. When Naruto suddenly felt a stinging sensation travel through his arms again, the hiss of pain he let out had Sasuke training his gaze down to the omega’s skin. 

“I warned you this would happen,” the black-haired male muttered, moving the blonde’s arms back under the faucet so the water could cool them. 

“W-what would happen?” Naruto quizzed dumbly. He was transfixed at the way Sasuke’s spiked hair could move so freely. Spikes like that didn’t hold up so perfectly without gel, he knew that from experience. Yet the Uchiha’s hair flexed and rustled with each movement of his body as if it were just naturally stuck up. Ha, Sasuke had a lot in common with his stupid hair. 

Without looking up from rubbing the water over Naruto’s arms, Sasuke placed a palm on the back of the blonde’s head and guided his gaze down. 

When Naruto took in the sight of his own skin, he almost thought he was seeing things. His flesh looked like he’d just gotten into a fight with the sun itself from how raw, and red it was. Some areas were slowly leaking blood out into the water, while others looked to be gradually starting to heal. The spots the water didn’t reach hurt like a bitch, as if he had gotten a nasty sunburn and then decided to stand in front of a campfire. 

“What are you doing to me?” Naruto was ready to start sobbing, but held himself back from the will of his own pride alone. No way was he going to let the Uchiha bastard see how much he got to him. 

Sasuke let out a tired sigh, his hands pausing in their actions. “I am taking care of you, omega,” he replied. The words weren’t cruel, or mocking, and were spoken like they were the honest truth.

Naruto stiffened from the way Sasuke referred to him, the action causing pain to flare in his back and reminding him of how far the sting had spread. 

Sasuke stopped moving for a second upon hearing the distressed sounds Naruto made, before releasing the blonde’s arms so he could lean back. He used his hips and legs to press Naruto securely against the sink, while his hands lifted up the material of the omega’s t-shirt. 

“Stop,” Naruto rushed the word out in a panicked huff. 

“Relax, I’m trying to relieve some of your pain.” Sasuke’s tone was hard and unyielding, but not lacking in sympathy as he tried his best to contain Naruto’s jerky motions. The Uchiha used a palm between Naruto’s shoulder blades to further aid in keeping him still, while the other traveled back to the sink to collect water. 

The first touch of the cold sensation on the raw skin of his back had Naruto jerking his body into the alpha’s. It was an involuntary action on his part, with the relief of the burn settling leading him to want for nothing but more of that cooling sensation. 

If having an omega press his body so enthusiastically against his own affected Sasuke in any way, the older male didn’t show it. His face remained as calm, composed, and stoic as usual, with the occasional creasing of his brows being the only thing to reveal how hard he was concentrating on his current task. 

“I probably should be waiting until you are completely sober to say this, but allow me the pleasure of lecturing you for a moment because I am rather annoyed right now. Are you stupid or ignorant?” Sasuke asked the question with a straight face, and almost no emotion, causing Naruto to blank for a moment. 

“Huh?”

Sasuke glanced up at him in the mirror, dipping his hand in the water again so he could continue rubbing the liquid over Naruto’s back. 

“I tell you you are pretty much drying up on land, and after spending a good portion of the day outside in the sun and heat, you drink alcohol. So, are you simply stupid enough not to know alcohol dehydrates the body, or is your head so far up your rear end that you still won’t believe me?” Sasuke elaborated. 

“What is there to believe in?” Naruto shot back bitterly, hissing when Sasuke punished him by rubbing a little too harshly at his marred skin. 

“You. Are. Not. a damn HUMAN, Naruto. You are wasting away in this cesspool of two-legged filth, because you are so far in denial of all the evidence in front of you that nothing Itachi or I say seems to get you to shut up and listen for two seconds. What’s almost worse, is that you have no idea the danger you put yourself in every time you get in the water without the physical form to protect yourself,” Sasuke pressed himself against Naruto, his eyes glinting dangerously. He stopped tending to the younger’s wounded back, and instead took the opportunity their position allowed to cage him in. 

Naruto went from slowly calming down, to instantly defensive again at the change in the alpha’s demeanor. He might’ve been able to believe that Sasuke’s movements and attention before were intending to care for him. This shift, however, was obviously an alpha trying to corner an omega into submission, and he’d allowed himself to get caught up in it because of a few gentle actions. 

“You feel helpless, omega?” He teased cruelly, lifting a hand up to run his fingers under Naruto’s jaw. 

The blonde’s breath hitched, his body struggling to coordinate properly with his mind to help him break free, as nails gently caressed the scent gland at the base of his neck. Sasuke had him trapped, and if the alpha wished it, he could end Naruto’s free life by forcing his mark onto the omega. 

As if hearing his fear, Sasuke leaned back to give Naruto some space to breathe. “That fear you have now is nothing compared to what you would feel should a rogue alpha snatch you off your board in the water. This human body…” Sasuke slipped his fingers from Naruto’s scent glands down to his side. “It is small, and weak. My brother and I have been pressing your change slowly, as an alpha’s pheromones are required in order for you to transition properly from land to sea. It was supposed to be the job of your father, but as I understand it, he is no longer with you.”

“Can you hear yourself?!” Naruto growled, his teeth baring in a snarl that had his eyes flashing with primal defensiveness. “My father was a human, and so was my mother. When dad came home, he would take me to ride my bike, and walk on the boardwalk. He worked for an international company, and went on business trips all the time. He had a job, a family, and a life as a HUMAN.” 

“Your father adapted to land as well as he could for the sake of the family he’d built there. Those ‘business trips,’ were the times when he was so weakened from carrying himself on land that he had no choice but to leave. So yes, he’d built a life on land, but it was hardly what you’d call sustainable,” Sasuke bit back. The two men were like mirrors, reflecting each other's anger and frustrations back and forth. 

Naruto refused to believe in what he felt was impossible, or was perhaps too scared to accept. Sasuke was aggravated at how stubborn the omega was, and was clearly running low on patience. Neither of them were finding a way to meet in the middle, causing the tensions in the air to rise like static. 

“If a rogue alpha were to find you in the water, he wouldn’t bother allowing you the luxury of a slow change,” Sasuke continued through grit teeth. “Instead, he would force it on you all at once. Your system would be thrown into shock, and you probably would not recover. Picture a limp doll, unable to move, or think without its master, but perfectly capable of siring young.” It was an underhanded fear tactic Sasuke was using, and Naruto knew it. The frustrating thing was that the images those words conjured were indeed terrifying. 

“Say, for one minute, I believe you. Why start my change at all, why not just leave me to live out my life on land, where I want to be?” Naruto needed answers. It was probably the side of his mind that was still a bit fuzzy from alcohol talking, but if Sasuke was willing to answer for the millions of thoughts going through his head, then he would momentarily ignore his detest for the other man’s presence. 

“I’ve already told you, your body is not made to live your entire life on land. Eventually, your heart will give out under the strain, and you will die. I am not your enemy, I am trying to take care of you,” Sasuke repeated his earlier sentiment. 

“Why?” Why did Sasuke want to take care of him? Naruto had a sinking suspicion, but he wanted to hear it confirmed from the Uchiha’s own lips. 

“A couple of reasons. For starters, the death of your father is a tragic thing, and with the absence of his pheromones, your body’s transition was stopped. As an alpha, and a male of the same species, I feel inclined to see to it that his offspring is returned home. Additionally,” Sasuke leaned back completely now, taking his hand off Naruto’s hip so he could continue rubbing water over the omega’s skin. “I wish to court you,” he added like it was an afterthought. 

Ah, there it was. The big confession Naruto already knew was coming. 

“Joke’s on you buddy, I hate alphas,” Naruto sneered, his fists clenching under the water still running over his arms. 

“You -- understandably -- hate human alphas. Their less than impressive way of courting an omega of their interest is lazy and lacks any tact. Their pheromones are disgusting, and will tell the omega in you that they are unfit to give you children that will survive. In regards to those of your own kind, the pheromones of a human alpha are comparable to those of a monkey.” Sasuke tilted his head in concentration while he pulled a jar of some strange ointment out of the front of his jacket pocket. 

Naruto wanted to ask what it was, but if Sasuke was truly trying to court him, then he wouldn’t harm him.

“And what about your pheromones is so appealing?” Naruto quizzed snidely, the backhanded jab at the alpha’s masculinity obvious. 

Sasuke froze, before raising a brow and meeting Naruto’s gaze again in the mirror. The Uchiha had taken it as a challenge, and Naruto could see something stirring behind his eyes; something dark, and dangerous. 

“Don’t start a game you aren’t able to finish, Naruto,” Sasuke warned, his voice dropping a couple of octaves. 

“I just think you’re too cocky for your own good, alpha,” Naruto shot back, feeling proud at himself for getting a reaction out of the Uchiha for a change. 

That sense of satisfaction was short lived…

One second, and Naruto found his pupils blowing, while his nostrils flared at the intense assault. 

Two seconds saw his eyes facing the floor, and a burning in his knees confirming they’d given out. His body shook, while heat filled him up to the deepest parts of his stomach. 

Three seconds had him surrounded by Sasuke, who crouched behind him and took the blonde’s chin in his hand. Naruto’s head was tilted back until he was looking up into eyes glinting red in the dim lighting. Sasuke’s face was sharper, and more primal, Leading to unwanted feelings of excitement bubbling up and tingling under Naruto’s skin. 

Sasuke leaned in closer until his breath ghosted across Naruto’s lips, causing the omega’s own breathing to come to a standstill. 

“The land was not the place of our first meeting, and I happen to know how much pleasure you take in my pheromones,” the Uchiha whispered against parted lips. 

Naruto recognized this scent… Through the cloud the intense pheromones caused in his mind, he could feel the familiarity. Burning beachwood, salt, and heat: this was the scent of the creature he’d been chased by in the water, and who had left its mark all over his bedroom. The dangerous, primal scent of an alpha who could undoubtedly end a life quicker than an enemy could blink. 

Naruto’s stomach cramped like it did when he was on the cusp of heat, and the connection of all points of his body against the muscled form of Sasuke was making his mind go wild. His head tilted back lazily onto Sasuke’s shoulder, while a whimpering sound he couldn’t believe came from him escaped his throat. His throat, which was now very much exposed to an alpha he hardly knew, but whom his body undeniably craved. 

Teasingly, Sasuke ghosts his mouth across the pale skin of Naruto’s neck, his heated breaths moistening the area. “Submission doesn’t make you weak, and our omegas are anything but. You fear allowing yourself to desire the touch of an alpha would mean you’d have to change yourself, which is what makes you so fearful of change as a whole. Ignorance is not always bliss, Makamae, sometimes, it is dangerous.”

The words hit Naruto hard, because he knew there was some validity to them. Rather than facing his problems, he ran from them. He called it bravery to pretend the things that bothered him didn’t exist, but there was a point at which courage morphed into stupidity. 

He was scared. 

Uzumaki didn’t believe in being afraid, but recently, he really was. 

“I know,” Sasuke consoled as if he could read Naruto’s mind, his arms wrapping around the smaller male’s midsection in an action meant to bring comfort. 

It was then that Naruto realized he was giving off distress pheromones, which mixed in the air with Sasuke’s and would make anyone who walked in choke on the heavy scent. 

As if on cue with that thought, the door to the bathroom opened. Naruto quickly tried to right himself so whomever it was wouldn’t think he was getting freaky with the creepy Uchiha. He almost found himself laughing like a maniac, however, when of course the person who came in was said creep’s older brother. 

“Sasuke, we are needed elsewhere,” Itachi announced, his eyes straying down to Naruto’s crumpled form. “Are you unwell?” the raven quizzed, stepping forward to hold a hand out for the blonde to take. 

“I’m always unwell when either of you are around,” Naruto stated, ignoring the hand so he could stand up on his own wobbling knees. 

Sasuke had receded the majority of his pheromones, allowing for Naruto’s head to clear back up into a somewhat normal state. The scent still lingered in the air, but it wasn’t to a degree that rendered him incapacitated by its strength. 

“I will be out shortly,” Sasuke informed his brother, sharing a look with the older man. 

Itachi nodded, and gave Naruto a kind smile before dismissing himself from the space. 

Naruto remained guarded as Sasuke turned back around to face him, but the Uchiha made no moves to invade his space again. Instead, he reached into his pocket and pulled out the jar from earlier. “Use this on any affected areas, it will help soothe the discomfort for a short period of time,” he instructed, holding it out. 

Naruto hesitated, wondering if he should really take it. It didn’t do him any good to refuse the gift though, so after a moment, he snatched it from Sasuke’s hand. 

“Come to the beach tomorrow,” the Uchiha ordered after allowing the blonde a second to examine the oily contents of the container. 

Naruto looked up, a dubious look falling over his features. “Why? So you can swim me out to the middle of the Atlantic where no one will hear my screams?” 

“So I can SHOW you,” Sasuke corrected, shoving his hands in his front pockets and tilting his head to the side in askance. 

That gesture had no business being as cute as it was, but Naruto found his cheeks warming nonetheless. He took the liberty of stalling by sealing the jar in his grasp back up, and shoving it in his pocket. When the appendages were empty once more, he fidgeted with his own fingers in thought. “I’ll come on one condition,” Naruto began. 

“Which is?” Sasuke pressed, leaning forwards like a kid excited to hear where they were going for vacation. 

“If you can’t actually give me concrete proof when I meet with you tomorrow, then you will leave me alone for good,” the blonde negotiated. His gaze was stern as he searched Sasuke’s equally schooled features. 

“Deal, but, if I can prove it then you will stop running away from Itachi and I like a startled pup, and allow us to finish what has been started” Sasuke countered. 

“And by ‘what has been started,’ you mean--”

“As I’ve said, your time is running out, Makamae,” Sasuke shrugged, the foreign nickname rolling off his tongue elegantly. 

Naruto’s face scrunched up in retaliation. “Stop calling me that.” 

“You don’t even know what it means,” Sasuke chuckled as he began heading for the bathroom door. 

“I know it can’t be good, and don’t just walk away when we’re having a conversation asshole!” Naruto shouted after the Uchiha who already had the door open and was ready to walk out. 

“As a recall, thirty minutes ago you wanted nothing more than for me to shut up and leave, now you chase after me,” Sasuke mocked, turning back to Naruto enough for the blonde to see his stupid grin. 

“You’re a jerk,” Naruto pouted, his eyes narrowing into a deeper glare if that was possible. 

“And you’re an idiot, don’t be late tomorrow,” Sasuke called out as he left Naruto alone in the bathroom. 

The door swung on its hinges a few times before settling closed once more. 

“He didn’t even tell me what time to be there…”

\--------------------

Sasuke walked next to his brother to the edge where the water met the land, his face a little more relaxed than usual. 

“So I take it things went relatively well with Naruto?” He quizzed, his brow arching at his younger brother curiously. 

“Hn, I wouldn’t say it went particularly well to start, but it didn’t end as bad as it could have,” Sasuke replied, his feet playing with the sand as he walked. 

“Naruto is a stubborn one, he’ll not bend like some romance-starved omega, nor will he understand our customs so quickly. You’ll have to have a lot of patience, Sasuke.” Itachi grimaced when Sasuke kicked a mound of sand onto his feet, nearly causing the older male to trip. 

“He’s just afraid. Once he is able to see there is nothing to fear, communication will be easier. I need more time, but I can tell I don’t have it.” Sasuke sighed deeply, closing his eyes when a breeze flew in from the water, and ruffled his hair. 

“How much time did you tell him he has?” Itachi asked with a hint of concern in his voice. He pulled his shirt over his head as he stepped into the water, throwing it up onto the dry sand. His pale chest practically glowed under the shine of the moonlight, while deep scars were now on display. Jagged remnants of wounds from a life in the sea without parents, and a little brother to tend to had made a canvas of hardship on his flesh. 

“I didn’t specifically tell him, but based upon the condition of his skin today, I’d say he barely has forty-eight hours.” While Sasuke did desire the chance to get to spend time with the omega tomorrow, his real reason behind getting Naruto in the water had been kept hidden. His hope was that it would help to sooth the blonde’s blood, which was calling out for the ocean more strongly than ever. At least if Naruto was meeting with him, then the alpha would be able to keep him safe. “Why does Madara want to meet?” Sasuke quizzed as he broke out of his thoughtful trance, bringing attention to the purpose of their being here rather than keeping an eye on Naruto’s home. 

“These waters are not inherently Uchiha owned, our congregation has caused unrest in the surrounding territories. Other clans are growing suspicious, and I have a hunch it won’t be long before they connect the dots and realize there is an omega up here,” Itachi explained. 

“Any signs of rogue activity yet?” Sasuke removed the last article of his clothing, allowing himself to be surrounded by the feeling of water on his bare skin as he drifted into the current. 

“Not that I’ve heard of, but Madara will want to move the clan as soon as Naruto is in the water. We’ll head back to our home in the southern seas, just as mating season nears its cusp.” A look crossed over Itachi’s face that had Sasuke grinning wickedly up at his brother. 

“Are you and Shisui hoping to sire?” The younger Uchiha asked deviously, already knowing the answer to his question. 

“Perhaps,” Itachi answered dismissively. 

“Your mate is usually well-mannered and calm, but during the heat season he becomes a little demon. I hope you are prepared to bring him treasures from the abyss just to appease him as he builds his nest, otherwise he’ll shove your eggs back down your--” 

“Noted, Sasuke,” Itachi glared at the younger as he joined him in the deeper water. “You have enough trouble with your intended, don’t mock me when I am already happily mated. You’ve no room for such luxury.” 

Sasuke snickered and shrugged, diving into the water before Itachi would have the chance to swing his claws at his head. He could feel his body changing to accommodate returning to its home, and the ache felt nice. His bones shifted and fused, while features he forewent on land came back out. His teeth lengthened in his mouth, preparing him to fight anything stupid enough to rise to the challenge. His clawed hands were ready and able to slice through anything, and the spines tracing down his back shifted comfortable. The fins along his arms and tail, also tipped with sharp, poison filled spines, shuddered and stretched as they caught the currents in the water. He glided forwards with little effort, feeling his full strength returning to him while he grew in size. 

The colors of his body reflected off of the coral structures along the reef. His tail was black at his waist, but faded into a bloody shade of crimson as it neared his large fluke. Fins used for swift directional change and balance were also red all along the shark-like appendage. Uchihas were descendants of sharks, in some ways, and took pride in their ferocious, powerful nature. They were beings intended for protection, and war, with a deep passion for those they loved and family. 

Dense muscle traversed up from his waist, forming a deep ‘V’ and strong, well-defined abdominal muscles that were typical of alphas. Patches of scales at his waist faded in and out as they reached the carved indentions of his gills. There were three on each side, just under his pectoral muscles, and they moved with each breath he took. The symbol of his family rested on the skin of his chest, proudly standing out against his pale skin. 

His eyes also adjusted to the new environment, as they enlarged and shifted to more of a slanted shape on his head. Fleshy, rounded ears fanned out into black ear fins, tipped with red. This crimson coloration covering certain areas of his body was a classic warning of “watch out, I’m poisonous,” and he wore it well. Spines stuck out from his already spike-y hair, and sensed every shift in the water around him. 

He was a perfectly crafted machine of strength made for not just surviving, but thriving. 

“You are infuriating,” Itachi chirped into the water, resorting back to their native tongue as the vibrations were easier to distinguish below the surface. 

Sasuke didn’t bother replying, feeling the tenseness in the water as they neared the drop off, and dipped over it. The fact that Madara had called them in for a meeting meant things were starting to take a turn for the worse. He was already feeling the stress of having to get Naruto ready for a life at sea in a matter of two days, when he could barely get the blonde to meet him on the beach for thirty minutes. Needless to say, the last thing he needed was more to worry about. 

The place where their clan had settled was obviously anything but a permanent arrangement. Quickly built dens and burrows were scattered about the seafloor at the base of the drop off, and kits swam about, playing with anything they could get their clawed fingers on. It was disorganized at best, but they hadn’t intended on staying long so it was acceptable for the time being. 

“You are late,” a booming, authoritative voice called out to them. 

Madara, even by Adaro standards, was a large and intimidating male. It was not by luck that he became the head of the Uchiha name, nor by happenstance that he had the respect and admiration of the tribe. 

“Apologies, uncle,” Itachi bowed his head respectfully, “Sasuke was tending to his omega.”

“How far off is he from his assimilation?” Madara quizzed, looking to the younger male. 

“Two days at most,” Sasuke replied, his voice leaking with obvious distress. 

“You are worried about such a happy occasion?” Madara pressed, gesturing for his nephews to follow him to a more private location. 

“He is rather stubborn, and I find it difficult to get him to understand the situation when he is in so much denial. His dislike for alphas, from what I can guess, comes from the prejudice of human society. I am watching his body grow weaker by the hour.” Sasuke didn’t mention that, additionally, he still wasn’t any closer with his courting efforts than he was with Naruto’s assimilation. That matter just seemed more private, for even if Madara was their uncle, in that moment he was their clan leader. 

“Omegas are a rarity. Those that do return to the sea only make up a small fraction of our population, and those that don’t die. Their stubborn nature is not a flaw, but a survival mechanism that allows for our kind to keep living on strongly. Have patience Sasuke, he will come to you when he realizes he had nowhere else to go.” The place their uncle led them to was his own, personal living quarters for the time being. Just by entering the den, the cold, loneliness of it was overwhelming.

Uchiha Madara was an unmated Adaro, who chose a life of leadership and brute strength over that of building a family. It was often viewed as a lonely path, but if it bothered the alpha, he didn’t show it. 

Trinkets and weapons littered the area, which was covered in cold stone, and the occasional patch of seaweed. One space in a corner held a purposefully placed mess of cushiony materials, meant to be a bed. A place to sleep and store personal effects, that was all it was. 

“Is our border holding?” Sasuke asked the random question, trying to steer the conversation away from himself and the blonde omega. 

Madara glanced back at him from where he was trying to pick up a knife that had slipped from its holster. “For now, though I have reason to believe the suspicions of other clans in this area will lead them closer to shore. With them will come rogues, not too far behind. As I said, omegas are a rarity, and the fact that Naruto is not claimed by a clan means he is like an abandoned kit, easily there to be snatched up.” 

“His flesh and home are covered in my scent, even if only temporary in nature, I have placed a claim on him,” Sasuke stated, his brows creasing with anger when he thought of someone trying to lay a claim on what was his. 

“A rule which alphas of a clan will abide by, but not rogues. I’ve seen bonded omegas get snatched from their spouses before, let alone ones that have not been mated.” Madara shook his head from the dark memory, his lips pulling back in a snarl of distaste. 

“That makes no sense, an omega that has been bonded cannot sire the children of another alpha. Omegas bond for life,” Itachi refuted, his eyes widening fearfully. It was no wonder, considering he was learning that his own mate might not be as safe as he thought. 

“An omega, in their right mind, cannot sire the children of another alpha. An omega that has been broken, tormented, and terrified for a long enough period of time, can be manipulated into it. They’ll begin to forget that they ever had an alpha that cherished them, and will be consumed by only the one who tortures them. It is rare, but with the decline in omega numbers over the years, and the increase in rogues, it is becoming more common.” Madara’s eyes were hard, and his tone was serious as he locked his eyes with Itachi’s. It was obvious that this was something that he probably shouldn’t be telling the two alphas, who were still so young, but it was also something he felt, as an uncle, they should know. 

“That’s…” Itachi’s features were switching between a grimace of disgust, concern, and hatred.

“Cruel,” Sasuke finished for his brother, his own concerns rising. It was bad enough that these things were taking place in their waters, but even worse when he considered Naruto’s situation. He had never been prepared for anything involving a life at sea, and was much older than most omegas who had already long since returned to their home. Adjusting and learning everything would be hard for him to begin with, but with this matter on top of it, things would be more complicated. 

“Right now, Naruto’s scent travels a good distance through the water, but our clan’s scent is masking his own. Once he goes through his first change though, that scent will become ten times more potent, and travel beyond what we can cover up. We will need to leave as soon as he is in the water.” Madara, as crazy as he might sound, was right. The scent of a newly bloomed omega was made to draw in potential suitors. In the less dangerous past, this was a good thing that would give the omega many strong options, and alphas a chance at continuing their line. In the present time, however, and in a situation like Naruto’s, it meant the risk of attracting unwanted attention from the wrong alpha. 

“Uncle, I must ask, given how close it is to mating season, and Naruto’s age, what are the chances he will go right into heat after his change?” Itachi asked, causing Sasuke’s head to snap in his brother’s direction. 

To be honest, that hadn't been something he’d considered. He could already pick up the slight sweetness on the edge of the omega’s scent as his heat neared, but it wasn’t so strong yet that he was concerned. Itachi had a valid point though, mating season was only about a month away, and already omega’s of their clan were showing signs. That, combined with the fact that Naruto was long overdue for his final stage of maturity, meant he had a higher chance of going into heat upon his transition. 

“I hope it will hold out until we’ve at least migrated to safer waters, but there is a possibility it will happen right away. If that is the case, then we will have only a few options. We can block the scent of his heat to prevent attracting rogues, and hope he can hang on until we make the trip to our home in the southern seas. Inhibit it, which can cause damage to his reproductive health, so I advise against that. Or, Sasuke can place his mark, which will subdue him out long enough for us to travel home. That is the choice of Sasuke, and Naruto, should things not go as we hope.” 

Sasuke didn’t like the sound of ANY of those ideas. He hated the second one the most, and probably wouldn’t even mention that option to the headstrong blonde. The last one, for obvious reasons, was his preferred, but from what he could gather about Naruto, the blonde would not allow himself to be bonded to an alpha so quickly. The first one would probably be the one Naruto would choose, but it would be tortuous for the omega. The medicine would block his scent, but he’d still be in heat. He’d be forced to travel with the clan for the few days it took to get to their home. During this time, Naruto would be an absolute mess, and since Sasuke didn’t experience heat, he could only imagine what such a taxing journey would be like during one. 

Heat itself was a private, and sensitive time for an omega Adaro, or Sirena. Those that weren’t yet mated would often stay in their nest for a week or two, and goddess help the poor soul who got anywhere near that nest uninvited. If Naruto was not willing to share his heat, Sasuke doubted he’d even be able to build himself a proper nest by the time they got to the mating grounds. Aside from that, being around so many other people, while aching for the one thing he couldn’t have would be mentally painful. 

There was only a single thing in all the ocean that would completely soothe an omega in heat, and that was the eggs of their alpha. Fertilized or not, the omega would crave for that weight inside to relieve the pain emptiness brought. Unfertilized eggs were rejected, allowing for a moment of relief before the omega would ask their alpha for more. Fertilized eggs would stop the heat immediately, and the omega would spend the rest of what would have been their heat in a state like hibernation. During this time, their body would adjust the eggs where they needed to stay, and take the strength and hormones from the mother to help the eggs begin to grow. It was during this hibernation stage that the sex of the offspring would be decided. Upon waking, the omega already knew how many kits they would have, and what their sex would be. 

Most omegas had a clutch of two to four eggs, and all could be born at varying times depending on the sex of the kits. Betas had a shorter incubation time than alphas, and alphas had a shorter time than omegas. Two, or even three labors were not uncommon, but while painful, Sasuke had been told they could also be pleasurable. 

It was a tough situation, and Sasuke hoped Naruto wouldn’t go into heat at all before it was time. That would also give him the time he needed to finish his courtship, and hopefully be able to spend the blonde’s heat with him. The Uchiha had never felt much sympathy for omegas during mating season before -- it was just the natural order of things, afterall -- but somehow, the thought of Naruto suffering alone had a whine threatening to be pulled from his lips. 

All would be well, he would see to it. 

\-------------------

Naruto trudged out of the bathroom the next morning begrudgingly, having brushed his teeth about five times since he kept throwing up. He didn’t even have anything in his stomach TO throw up anymore, but that didn’t seem to stop him. 

He still remembered last night, and had fought with himself when he woke up about whether or not it was just a dream. After a long debate in his head, he decided he’d show up to the beach at around twelve in the afternoon. If it wasn’t a dream, then Sasuke wouldn’t be able to whine about how he didn’t show. In the meantime, Naruto would do a little private research of his own, and wait for the worst of his hangover to pass. 

The book Iruka had given Naruto sat on top of his closed laptop on his desk. Getting a better look at it now, he realized it was pretty old. The hardback cover, at one point, had been covered in a velvety cloth. Now, that cloth was frayed at the corners, and rough from age wearing it down. The pages were thick, and smelled of mildew, making Naruto almost like the overwhelming scent of old spice still drifting in the air more. 

Despite its appearance, the writing and pictures on the inside were intricate, and interesting. On one page, there was the image of a serpent-like creature, rising out of the ocean before a boat. The monster was huge, with overly-exaggerated teeth, and frills that danced out to the edges of the paper. Leviathan, the book had called the being, was apparently a serpentine monster from the Judaism religion, detailed in the Hebrew bible. The way it was depicted was as an aquatic beast that would sink ships out at sea. 

Naruto shivered at the thought, because coming face to face with that in the water would send his soul packing in two seconds flat. 

He flipped the page, and took in the next image of a monster from Scandinavian lore. This creature was called a Kraken, and looked like a giant octopus. The picture was more colorful than the one with the leviathan, and showed the red-ish colored monster wrapping its powerful tentacles around a vast shipping vessel, crushing it under the pressure. 

There was a pretty large section about mermaids from Greek mythology, and sirens as well, but although there were similarities with the form of Sasuke he’d seen in the water, they didn’t fit quite right. Aside from that, mermaids had been so worn out in kids cartoons and romance flicks over the years, that Naruto would just die of laughter if Sasuke walked up to him and said “I am a merman.” 

After about an hour of turning pages, and actually finding quite a bit of enjoyment in learning about the legendary sea creatures of different cultures, he happened upon something… interesting. 

From the mythology of the Solomon islands, there was a race of beings known as Adaro. They were thought to congregate specifically in the Atlantic ocean, and were said to take on the form of a man, and shark. The Adaro, were rumored to have been extremely dangerous creatures that came from the dark, and evil parts of a human soul. Of course, historical texts have a, well, history of making out anything different to be malevolent. Naruto thought midnight snacks were the best thing in the world, but the internet told him they’d make him die young. Case and point. 

Many parts of the legend didn’t sound anything like Sasuke’s form, and even in his aquatic state, Sasuke’s features were more man than evil beast. The shark-like body, however, and the horn-like spikes upon his head, ear frills, long, pointed teeth, and overall sharp appearance did. While mermaids were often described as beautiful beings, and mostly women, the Adaro was described in a more primitive way. Actually, in that sense, it made the creature seem more believable than a sea-shell bra-ed lady sitting atop a rock and singing. 

Adaro was depicted in the text as male, so if Naruto was to believe this was what Sasuke might be, then it made him wonder if there were females. If there were, were they called something else?

Going off of the knowledge Naruto had gained, he began making his own hypothesis’. It was clear that, again, if he was willing to believe all of this, secondary gender mechanics were a thing for Sasuke’s people like they were for humans. It made him wonder if the aquatic beings were just humans who had evolved differently. A perfect example was of different species of bear. Polar bears were much more aquatic, and adapted to colder weather than brown bears. Although a brown bear couldn’t live where a polar bear did, and vice versa, that didn’t mean they weren’t from the same group, and descendants. It just meant they’d evolved to live in different environments, with different struggles. 

It did beg a lot of questions though. If there were omega’s who were already adapted, and living in the water, then why was Sasuke so adamant about getting Naruto in the water as well? Human society thrived off of relatively equal distribution of the genders; there were plenty of alphas, betas, and omegas. Thinking back to what he knew about the omegas of Sasuke’s kind, he knew they were born on land, and eventually were supposed to return to the sea. Could being born on land be to protect them, and prevent losing too many? 

If that was true, then maybe the distribution of the sexes in the ocean was different. It was no secret that it took more out of a mother to provide for, and give birth to an omega child. In the water, there was no doubt in his mind that conditions were harsher. So maybe the birthrate of omegas was not as high because they were either prone to miscarriage, or just not as often born. Those that were born might even have trouble surviving to adulthood. 

It was a theory that was as interesting as it was disturbing for Naruto to ponder. There was a time in far back history called, “the Age of Omegan Oppression.” Sexism had been a steady thing until about two centuries ago, and even now, there were people who believed there were some things omegas couldn’t or shouldn’t do. That very stigma was something Naruto fought on a daily basis, but after he’d read about the Omegan Oppression Period, he actually felt rather grateful. 

Between about 1100, and 1300 AD, there was a time when omegas as a whole almost went extinct. In order for an omega to give birth safely, they had to be bonded to an alpha of their choosing. However, during this time, it was believed that the sole purpose of an omega’s existence was to have children. Upon presentation, omegas were locked up like animals. Each “farm,” as they had been called in the past, had an alpha master who would mark the omegas under his charge to prevent them from escaping. After marking, an omega cannot be away from their spouse for too long, for it drives them into a depressive state. 

Good omegas, who would be forcefully impregnated by strange alphas who only wished to continue their strong bloodline, would be rewarded by getting to spend a night with the master alpha -- their bondmate. It was, by the people of that time's standards, a “good system” that ensured the next generation would be strong. However, there was one fatal flaw. In order to birth an omega, the omega who carries that child has to be happy, healthy, and well tended. The birth of omega’s declined at a rapid rate, while the population of alphas and betas boomed. The balance was thrown off, and the survival of humanity as we knew it was threatened. Without omegas, there can be no more alpha or omega children. Only beta females would have been able to continue producing offspring, forever ending two genders of humanity. 

Of course, the misogynistic alphas of that time couldn’t stand the thought of losing their own species, the “strongest of the human race.” After this, things arguably got better, and omegas went from being treated like cattle, to being treated like pets. Omega auctions stopped in the 1500’s, forced bonding in the 1700’s, and omegas began gaining rights in the 1800’s. It wasn’t until, horrifyingly enough, recent history that omegas were actually treated like equal human beings, with thoughts and emotions. The full recovery from the Omegan Oppression Period took about five-hundred years, just showing how hard it is to recover from something like that. 

So what would be the reason for a lack of omegas in the aquatic population? Could it just be because of harsher conditions, or genetics? Or could it be something much, MUCH worse?

Naruto’s alarm went off on his phone, letting him know it was about time for him to leave. He closed the book over in front of him, still pondering things in his head. 

Sasuke had mentioned something about rogue alphas that lived in the water, who would forcefully claim omegas. This was a scary concept, but there was still illegal stuff like that today, especially amongst the mafia and crime syndicates. Could he really trust that Sasuke was telling the truth though when he said it was just rogues? What if Naruto was being tricked into a society like the one in the Omegan Oppression Period? If what Sasuke had said about him not being able to live out his life on land was true, then what if he was cursed from his birth? 

Naruto knew one thing for certain, if it came down to something like that, he would rather die.


End file.
